


Crazy Child

by I_am_the_Veil



Series: we were once kids of gotham [1]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Batman: Arkham (Video Games), Batman: Arkham - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, High School, Kidnapping, Original Character(s), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, fear toxin, hostage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-05
Updated: 2018-11-05
Packaged: 2019-08-19 11:13:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 31,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16533521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_am_the_Veil/pseuds/I_am_the_Veil
Summary: Jessie is a teenager living with her mother in Gotham City. When Jessie is invited to a party thrown by the Wayne's, a sudden and completely expected party crasher throws her head first into the underworld of Gotham. It's up to her to fight the crazy, or drown in it.





	1. “You are cordially invited…”

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this four years ago and posted it to Wattpad. I'm posting it here because my friend and I are writing a sequel! There are bound to be some errors and I apologize for that, but it sets up everything you will see in the next iteration, Child's Play, which will be posting soon!  
> Edit: This is currently being edited by the wonderful Mystik_Owl! Better and more coherent chapters should be coming soon!

A sigh sounded from the girl as she opened the mailbox. Lazily looking over the first two letters, she saw both were for her mother, and immediately wished they were for her. ‘Why don’t I get any mail?’ She thought absentmindedly as she walked back up the path and through the open door to her apartment, then placed all the mail on the table.

“Mom! Mail’s on the table.” Jessie called out as she saw her mother walk through the door that lead to the kitchen.

“Did your letter come from school?” Her mother asked as she walked over to inspect the letters. “No, I don’t really care though. All I did was help with the fundraiser.” She shrugged. “Hon, you raised over two thousand dollars!” Her mother said, exasperated. “I don’t want those countless nights and long hours to go to waste!”

“I know it’s just...” She lets out a sigh. “Never mind. I’ll be in my room doing homework, if you need me.” Her mother nodded, and she made her way up the stairs to her room. Jessie had just barely started her homework when her mother called her name out excitedly.

    “Jessie! Jessie!” Her heart jumped at her mother's worried tone, thinking something was wrong. 

    “What?! Are you okay?!” She asked turning on her chair to face the older woman who had come through her door.

_ “Here!” She said excitedly as she thrust her a neatly folded letter. “You must need glasses; this one is for you!” Unfolding the letter, Jessie scanned the letter; her eyes taking over the first few lines. ‘Dear Jessie, Wayne Enterprises has received information about your stunning work to help your school raise money. As a benefactor of Gotham Public Schools, kids who support their school make my job a whole lot easier. You raised two-thousand and ten dollars for your school single-handedly, which is exponentially greater than any other student at North Collegiate High. ’ The letter went on and on about her ‘stunning’ work, and as she began to wonder what this was all about, it all became clear by the last line. “In honor of your hard work, I would like to personally invite you to represent your school at an upcoming charity ball. The proceeds from the ball will go to schools like yours around Gotham. You will get the chance to meet kids from Gotham schools, and talk with benefactors like myself. I would be very delighted if you could attend.’ ~ Bruce Wayne’ _

Her eyes widened as she read the last line over again. “Wha- Mom did you read this?” She looked up to see her mother nodding. “This has to be some joke from the other kids at school! I mean, why would he care?” She asked and held the letter out for her mother.

“He‘s a benefactor of the school! I think it would be good for you to go represent your school. You show so such determination and school spirit.” Her mother gave her that wonderful motherly smile. “You should go it will be fun, and you never know- you may meet other kids there.” She smiled again and walked out.

“I don’t even have a dress to wear.” Muttered the teen as she went back to doing her homework. It took just a few days of persuading before Jessie agreed to go to the ball that Mr. Wayne, apparently, had invited her too. The first order of business on her mind was to take care of the dress problem. This promptly sent her and her mother on a trip to the mall.

“Jessie what about that one?” She was snapped out of her thoughts by her mother’s words. They were standing in the middle of the teen section of some fancy department store that they have never entered before. Her mother was pointing to a black dress hung high up on the wall. Jessie scanned down the dress. It had a sheer sweetheart line neckline followed by loose flowing fabrics that dropped down to the floor.


	2. “The Terrible Monster of What-If”

     Staring at the clock over the whiteboard was all Jessie could focus on. Her whole being was focused on the ticking seconds that passed by, getting closer and closer to the bell that will inevitably call school out. She thought, if she focused hard enough, time would go slower, and she could stay in class longer. The terrible monster of ‘What If’ had crawled into her subconscious, and made permanent residence in her skull throughout the day. Breaking her eyes away from the clock, she tapped her pencil on her fingers, and looked at the classmates around her. She was normal, just like them, so why out of everybody did she have to represent them at the Wayne party. Why couldn't someone else go? Take Katherine- she had straight A’s, and took all AP classes. Even Tate would be better suited. He had lived abroad for their entire life, and had the whole ‘global-citizen’ act down to a science. Connor would be a shoo-in to go. His family was rich, and he was captain of the water polo team. The WATER POLO TEAM. What was so special about Jessie? Being on student council? That hardly counted. There were 6 other kids on the council as well.

The sound of the bell rang through her ears as she started packing up. Again, the anxious feeling that she had been dealing on-and-off with all day, came back. The walk home today was much shorter than she would have liked. Jessie still smiled as she stepped through the door; remembering that there were still a couple more blessed hours before she had to get ready. While looking like a sophisticated socialite was a thought that didn’t bother her much, she was not excited for the unfamiliar attire and makeup that went with the look. She quickly ran up the stairs, and started her homework. She stopped her work when the sound of her mother coming home entered the home. Jumping up from her spot, she ran down to go see her mother. “Mom!” She giggled and hugged her.

“Well someone's happy to see me.” She smiled and hugged back. “Start getting ready we have to leave soon. Sorry, I’m so late. My boss had me work a little later today. Of all the days!” Jessie nodded to her mom before running upstairs and pulling the dress out of its plastic covering. She slid it on and went downstairs. One of her mother's friends had come over to do hair and makeup. Three coats of foundation, two different lipsticks, a half an hour dedicated just to eyeshadow, and twenty-seven bobby pins later, Jessie was ready to leave.

Jessie stood and looked in the hallway mirror. She stared at her appearance in the mirror. She looked elegant. Her hair was put up in a simple bun with small tendrils hanging down on the sides of her face. Her eyes were lined fiercely with black eyeliner, and her eyelids were painted like ash. Jessie stood there taking it all in. She appreciated the art of being able to look grown up while not having to take on any of the responsibility. She could most certainly wait to grow up.

She put her phone and extra lipstick in her purse before descending down the stairs for the third time that day. Her mother was waiting downstairs for her, and gasped when she came down.

“Jessie you look amazing!” She exclaimed and hugged her. Jessie smiled. “Thanks, mom. You look amazing too!” Jessie took her hand. Her mother was wearing a navy blue dress made of a soft looking fabric that flowed down to the floor. The sleeves were made of a delicate lace that came up to form a high neckline. Her graying brown hair no longer looked frazzled, but was pulled back into an elegant braid that came down onto her shoulder.

“Off we go then!” Her mother said as she led them outside to hail a taxi. “Thanks for coming with me, Mom. It means a lot to me that you’re here.” Jessie said as they rode along the illuminated streets, getting closer and closer the center of Gotham.

“I wouldn’t leave you for the world.”


	3. “A little party never killed nobody!”

    Entering into the party was not as bad as Jessie thought it would be. No one stared as she walked in. No one even noticed except for the butler who had escorted them to the proper room. It was a rather anti-climatic event. The most nerve-wracking event was going up the Wayne Tower elevator. No one should be shot up seventy floors in an elevator MADE OF GLASS. They had arrived and Jessie received a badge dictating to school she was representing. Then was escorted inside to the ballroom. The party was in full swing when they arrived. There was an orchestra set up in a corner playing lovely music. The lighting was bright and yellow and threw washes across the floor in a sunlight fashion. There were waiters standing around the chatting guests serving horderves and the elders champagne. Jessie even spotted other children from the local Gotham high schools. She saw a petite girl with wispy silver hair from Gotham Academy. The most elite school in Gotham. She made a note to steer clear of that area. 

    “Why don’t you go find some kids to talk with.” Her mother whispered to her nudging her towards a group of people closest to them. Tentatively Jessie walked over the group of people. There was a girl around Jessie’s age, a male just a bit older than them and a young woman. The girl and the boy both wore very plain outfits for the fancy occasion. The girl wore a short black dress and the boy a simple suit. The girl's hair was intricately braided into a circle around her head which Jessie thought odd. Jessie only caught the back end of the conversation they were having with the woman.

   “... we should be off soon. Aaron wanted us back before eleven due to the riots that have been happening. Don’t get into too much trouble.”  The girl said before turning to leave with the man. This left only her and the blonde woman.

   “Hello.” Jessie said shyly. “I’m Jessie. I’m here representing North Collegiate High.” Jessie took a look at the dress the woman was wearing. It was a dark shade of red with elaborate black crystals. “You must be one of the benefactors.”

   “I’m the benefactor of something all right!” She let out a high pitched laugh. “I’m Harley. Nice to meet ya.” There was a Brooklyn charm to her accent. Jessie didn’t ask in case she was wrong. People from that area tended to be rather protective of their burrows.  

    “It’s nice to meet you as well!” She smiled as they shook hands. “You look very pretty.” 

    “Ah well thank you! You look nice in that dress of yours too.” Harley complimented.

    “Thanks, but you are gorgeous. Red is a nice color on you.” Jessie hoped that she wasn’t coming off too weird or strong. Harley gave her a wide smile so Jessie felt welcomed.  

    “Ya think so? My boyfriend helped me pick it out.” She twirled around and smiled as if recalling a memory. 

    “Oh is your boyfriend here?” 

    “Nah, Mr. J wanted to be fashionably late.” She took a look at a clock mounted on the far wall. “He should be here soon though.” 

    It took Jessie approximately three seconds to process what Harley she was currently talking to and what Mr. J was currently on his way to the banquet.

    “Well then, I should head back to my mom.” She started to slide away. “It was nice to meet you!” She threw that comment over her shoulder as she merged her way into the crowd of adults and teenagers. She needed to get out of here, she needed to call the police, she needed to call the BATMAN, she needed an adult to handle this situation. She looked around for her mother who was nowhere in site. Fear was slowly making a presence in her mind as Jessie stood alone in the crowded room. “Mom!” She called out. This got the attention of everyone except for her mother. Faces stared at her as she pushed her way through the crowd towards to edge of the room. She needed to get out of here. She walked up to one of the men who had escorted her in as just as she opened her mouth there was a piercing shrill as glass rained down in the room. Before she could process anything gunshots started ringing around the room. People were shouting and running in all directions. Jessie pressed herself against the wall as not to get trapped in the chaos. Panic went through her mind at a thousand miles an hour, blurring every thought she had together making her numb with fear. Her head snapped towards the main entrance as the owners of the guns slowly appeared in site. There was a single gunshot and a new voice rang out. 

    “Hello ladies and gentlemen!” It shouted. Jessie was squished between bodies as they backed away from the man in terror. His voice traveled the room with him as he walked. 

“Well let’s not stop the fun now!” A laugh of insanity filled the room quickly after. “What? Not in the mood?” Jessie pushed against the crowd to see who was ransacking the party. She pushed her way through until she could see the man.

    “Well, I’m running the show now. So you all had better. Lighten. Up.” That laugh. She knew that laugh. It haunted every child of Gotham. 

Joker. In the flesh. Well as much natural flesh as his white face, smeared red lips, and green hair could be. Everyone in Gotham knew him. Hell everyone in the Western Hemisphere knew him. 

    He stopped laughing and looked around the room, as if he was searching for something. Jessie tried to slink back into the crowd but everyone was frozen solid. His plan was unknown and panic had taken a hold of the room. He was the true master of the moment.

   “Who wants to have some fun?” He clapped his hands together and smiled looking around the room. “No one? Well that’s disappointing.” He pulled a party popper from one of the guests hands. He pulls it and it lets a bang that echoes around the silent room. 

     “See not so bad!” He lets out another maniacal laugh. “How about you young sir?” He asked with a smile as he pointed to a man trembling in the crowd. The man nervously shook his head. Even from a distance away, Jessie could see the sweat dripping down his forehead. 

    The Joker then proceeded to pull a dramatic frown and then shrugged. “Too bad.” He laughed before pulling a flower out of his jacket and spraying a green gas in his face. The Joker laughed and was soon joined by the victim as the horrible gas filled his lungs. Jessie was horrified by the scene that unfolded in front of her.

    With every tragic event that will ever occur there will be people who overreact. It’s an unavoidable fact that happens when anxiety is catalyzed by fear. The crowd around the young man contained a few of those people. They began to scream and cower terrifying more people than the Joker had. the panic spread slowly from person to person dispersing itself amount the crowd. The people began to panic and began pushing to get away. A mob had formed. The people close to Jessie began crushing her between their bodies. The Joker couldn’t help but laugh again at the chaos around him. This must be exactly what he wants. “Who else would like to have some fun? Anyone?” He questions as his first victim’s laughs were dying down because the man also was dying.

     ‘Conner could stop this freak… he’s got the muscles for it.’ Jessie thought trying to calm herself. She found that adding humor to a tragic situation helped her think more clearly. She needed to stay focus and not lose herself to the mass panic around her if she wanted to get out alive.

    “How about you miss?” Joker asked a lady in the crowd. Jessie tried to look to see if she could distract him or find a weakness in the room to use as a weapon. However, the crowd was once again blocking her way. 

    “NO PLEASE NO!” The lady begged. Tears were staining her face black as they ran down from her eyes, dragging mascara along her cheeks. She was trembling and gasping for air.

    “Awwww. Looks like someone isn’t having very much fun. Well, don’t worry Uncle J is here to turn that frown upside down.” The green haired maniac said.

    “Leave her alone and pick on someone your own size.” A strong voice called out from the crowd.

    “Mom!” Jessie shoved against the crowd clawing her way to the front. Again Jessie went through the struggle of getting to the front of the crowd. “Mom! No! What are you doing!” The people were frozen with fright and would not let her pass. 

   “Well, well, well. Look at what we got here folks! Is it a challenge?” Jessie saw him advance forward through the shoulders of the guests. He was smiling a terrible smile at what must be her mother on the other side of the room.  “I love a good challenge, don't you boys?” Chuckles were heard from around the room from his gang of thugs. 

   “If you are looking to terrorize people then look around. You’ve been successful. If you are looking for any sort of recognition then you are crazier than everyone thinks. You're just a man who needs help.” The words triggered another burst of laughter.

  “Me? Help? HA! If anyone needs help it’s gonna be you.” 


	4. “Defend What You Love or Die Trying”

   It was at this moment that Jessie burst through the crowd of people screaming, “LEAVE MY MOM ALONE!” It was the only thing she could think of to try and get everyone out of her way. It worked a little better than she wanted. Everyone stepped back from her, afraid they might be affiliated with these people. Scared she spun around looking at everyone.

  “Jessie. Stay back. This is not your fight. Stay out of th-.” She was cut off when the clown held up his hand and began laughing.

   “Ah, mother like daughter.” He gave a low chuckle.

   “You leave her alone!” Jessie’s mother demanded sternly.

   “Ah ah ah!” He smiled, waving his finger in her face. “I call the shots. You should just relax and enjoy the show.” He snapped his fingers and two men came and grabbed the older woman.

   “Mom!” Jessie rushed forward to try and get to her mother. “Let my mom go.” She began pulling on her mother, helpless to do anything against the thugs' strength.

   “Jessie stop. This is not your fight.” Her mother looked at her with a soft face. Slowly it began to melt into fear. “Jessie get out of here. Run!” Her mother screamed at her. Turning around Jessie saw The Joker right behind her; a knife in his hand. She attempted to make a getaway, but it was all in vain. A hand grabbed her neck and gave a sharp tug, back forcing her to the ground. Having no time to think, Jessie fell to the ground with great force and hit her head on the polished floor.

   “Where do you think you're going, Jessie?” He said her name in a sickly, sickeningly sweet way that made her stomach tie up in knots. With her vision still slightly blurred, she scrambled against the floor to get to her mother — to get away, to get anywhere that wasn’t here. Again, it was in vain. He stepped on her dress and grabbed her hair, pulling her back towards him. He jerked her head up, forcing her to look up at him. “Aw, do you want to go back to your mommy?” He said in a whiny voice before smiling. “Mommy is currently busy at the moment but good old Uncle J is here!” He let out one laugh before throwing her head back to the ground. She manages to stop the brunt of the impact with her hands to spare herself from the brain damage that would have surely come.

    Before she could even process another thought, the clown kicked her in the ribs. It was like nothing she had ever felt before. A searing pain shot through her as the air left her lungs and she collapsed to the floor. She let out a grunt as she fell over from the force. She didn’t even try to get back up before another strong kick went to her rib cage.

   “Jessie!” She heard her mother scream. She tried to get her knees up, her hands down, her chest covered, anything to help absorb the shock from the blows that just kept coming. Even in pain, she took no time to start crawling away. This caused him and his men to start laughing hysterically at her fruitless efforts. ‘Why isn’t anyone helping me?” She wondered as tears filled the corners of her eyes. She didn’t want to move, it hurt to much but she knew it would hurt more if she stayed in place, so she knew she had to keep moving.

   “Oh Jessie, you put on a good show.” Joker laughed. He was right next to her. If she just could seem to escape. Panic filled her chest as she looked over. There he was swinging his leg back to kick her again. She closed her eyes waiting for the impacted, but instead she heard glass shatter and a grunt from one of the thugs as he fell to the ground. She was pulled up from the ground by surprisingly strong arms and a knife pressed against her neck.

   “Well, Bats it’s about time you showed up. The party was so dull without you. Jessie here got everyone warmed up from you though” Her cheek was pinched as she opened her eyes. In front of her was THE BATMAN. Her fear left her suddenly as if she were already safe back at home. Batman is a fighting machine, who she noted was extremely scarier in person.

   “Let. The. Girl. Go.” Batman commanded. He started walking forward, but Joker stepped back and ‘Tsked’ at him.

   “Ah ah ah Bats, take one more step, and the only place Jessie here will be going is to the pearly gates.” He chuckled and continued to back up until he was by a broken window.

   “You have one chance Joker. Let her go.” Batman said. He was calm and calculated, and made her feel reassured about her living through the whole affair. Right as Joker opened his mouth to retaliate, Jessie kicked her leg back and stabbed her high heel into his kneecap. He let out a grunt of pain and she tried to break loose from his grip.

   “MISTA J!” Harley screamed and ran to the aid of her lover. “You terrible girl how dare you.” Jessie, who had managed to get away from Joker’s grasp now found slim hands clenched tightly around her throat. Joker grabbed the back of her dress and pulled her out of the frying pan and into the fire.

  “This sure is heating up, but I’ve got to go Bat’s, you know, places to go, people to kill.” Jessie, Harley and the Joker were now all crowded against the broken window.  “Hm. You know I’ll give you a choice.” He smirked. Leaning forward, he kicked back forcing Harley out the window. “PUUUUDIN!” She screamed as she fell. Batman rushed forward diving out the window to save Harley.

   “ I’ll be seeing you soon.” The words crawled into her ear as the Joker dropped Jessie and made his getaway. His crew and him rushed through the main doors with as much speed as they had entered.

   Supporting herself on her hands and knees, Jessie shook like a leaf. Jessie was numb with fear and it continued to build up until she couldn't handle it. She let out a scream not knowing what else to do. Her mother had finally come to her daughter's aid and hugged her, then worked on calming her child. Other guests were checking on each other, calling the police, and checking on her or watching out the window as Batman ran after Joker leaving Harley hanging on the side of the building.


	5. “The After Party”

 Jessie sat on the back of an ambulance among the scene of emergency vehicles that littered Wayne Plaza. She was wrapped in a black blanket that she had been told was to help with shock however, it didn’t stop her from staring off into space trying to comprehend what had just happened. Her mother stood next to her rubbing her back soothingly. She silently stared at the firemen as they took Harley down from the side of the building. Deep in the pit of her stomach she had a hate for her. One part for the events of tonight two parts because she had thought her kind. How could she be so naive? She had grown up in Gotham. She had seen her face plaster thousands of times across billboards and newspapers. She should have recognized her right away. Maybe then everyone would be safe.

    “Ma’am? Ma’am are you alright?” The police officer asked trying to get her attention. Jessie shook her head to clear her thoughts before answering. “Uh, yeah. Can you repeat the question?” She asked and focused on the officer.

    “Just tell me what happened tonight?” The officer pulled out a notepad and pencil waiting for her to start her story. 

     “Ah…” She paused to gather her thoughts. Tears welled up in her eyes and she couldn’t seem to blink them away. “Mom can you go first please.” She whispered and squeezed her mother's hand.

    “Of course honey. They came in through the front…” Her mother went through her part of the story telling everything she could remember while Jessie was trying to piece together what she could but at certain parts it was blurry and her head was still in pain and was throbbing a bit. Worst of all she was crying for no reason and all she really wanted to do was go home and put on sweatpants. When it was her turn she slowly started to form her story which turns into an endless stream of words somewhat resembling a wattpad fanfic. While talking she looked back to the entrance of the Wayne Tower where the party was held. She saw two paramedics roll out a stretcher with a victim of the laughing gas being rolled out. She stops mid-sentence. “Are they going to be alright? Will they live?” She asks. The officer glances to where she is looking and sighs a deep sigh. “It’s hard to tell. Every case is different with that vile stuff. Some people pull through others… not so much.” 

    Jessie turned back to finish giving her story to the cop when lights blind her eyes. A car speeds into the parking lot and she sees someone jump out of the vehicle. They start walking towards her and stop just behind the cop.

     “Gordon, what’s the situation here?” Batman had finally become clear to Jessie and she felt a little intimidated by standing next to him but it was still nice to see the defender of the city. 

    “Nothing good. We got five casualties so far and that’s not including the ones sprayed with gas. That stuffs worse than anything Crane comes up with.” He shakes his head. “I take it Joker got away?” 

    “He disappeared in the Falcone shipping yard in Kingston. I have someone looking into the containers stored there right now. Who knows what that maniac is up too. Keep an eye on Harley. No doubt he’ll be looking for her.” He finished with a frown before taking a look at Jessie.

    “What you did was brave. I will make sure he is captured.” Is all he said to her before turning away quickly letting his cape whip around him making a dramatic exit. She whispers a silent, “He is so cool,” under her breath. 

    “I know right.” Her mom whispers back to her giggling. Gordon turns back to them when he is interrupted by a tall blonde man wearing the insignia of Arkham on his uniform. He is followed by the same girl with intricate hair who was talking to Harley before the whole disaster. 

    “He’s not in Arkham or Blackgate. We are currently checking The Bowery and all Gotham Metro lines.” The man says to Gordon. 

    “Good. I’m just glad that he didn’t take any hostages. We don’t want a repeat of… well last time someone got taken.” The Commissioner says tiredly. “Also, Harley is scheduled to be moved to Arkham at 03:00 this morning so make sure Elizabeth bridge is clear.” The two nod and move away. “You two are free to leave when you get cleared by the paramedics. For now try to stick to Miagani Island and don’t go out after dark. No one is safe with that maniac loose. He smiles at them and then leaves to go help control the situation. 

    “Mom.” Jessie turns to her mother. “ Can we go home?” She whined. 

    “I was thinking that exact same thing.” Her mother said.

 


	6. Mondays

    That night Jessie had a hard time sleeping. Every time she had gotten close to falling asleep images of that psychotic smile hit her and she would jolt awake covered in sweat. She tossed and turned and tossed and turned until her sheets were nothing more than a wad of cloth around her bed. The worst part is she was no closer to sleep than she was five hours ago when she had first got in bed. She glanced over at the clock. The electric fluorescent numbers stared back at her. 3:27. She sighed and pulled a blanket from the base of her bed wrapping it around herself like a protective cape. She slowly opened her door and stepped out into the dark hallway. The moonlight shined in through the window casting shadows around that frightened Jessie and called upon her worries about the night's events not quite being over.  Her feet were soft against the hardwood floor as she walked down the hall to her mother’s room. She slowly opened the door and peered into the room. 

    “Can’t sleep.” Her mother said into the darkness. Jessie wasn’t surprised her mother was awake but she still felt a wave of relief wash over her. 

    “I can’t shake that… creep from my mind.” Jessie said quietly climbing into bed with her mother. Jessie’s mother pulled her into her arms and slowly started petting her hair, softly pulling the strands of her sweaty hair into place.

   “Well, you don’t have to worry anymore.” She said softly into Jessie’s hair. “I will always be here darling.” With those words, Jessie felt herself drifting off into sleep. 

\--

   The weekend passed as a blur, two more days lost to the endless stream of living. Jessie couldn’t tell you what happened if you offered her the world. Jessie could tell you all about how much she hated her alarm clock where it when off Monday morning. She heard the annoying blare and snapped her eyes open. As she rolled over the shut the damn thing up a stab of pain shot through her. A wonderful formation of bruises had been growing on her side creating interesting but painful patterns. The EMT’s had cleared her of having any broken ribs but Jessie doubted them because BRUISES WERE NOT SUPPOSED TO HURT THIS MUCH. Thank god there wasn’t any swim practice today. She didn’t want any of her fellow classmates seeing the black and blue mess of her side. They were bound to ask questions that Jessie just really didn’t want to answer. Furthermore, she was almost 99.99% sure she couldn’t swim laps if her life depended on it. She manages to haul herself out of bed and shrug on some clothing before walking downstairs.

   Jessie fiddles with the coffee machine until it finally released her and her mother's favorite drink. She watches the pot fill up slowly, staring at it with a blank stare as if it just told her the meaning of life was pointless. The pot seems to be taking longer than usual as she watches the bitter liquid get shat out like rejected items off a conveyer belt. The ding signally it’s finished startles Jessie out of her dazy. She grabs two mugs and fills them to the brim. Jessie siped her coffee and waited for her mother to come down from her room and join her daughter. The girl hummed as she drank the coffee and looked around at the all too familiar room that now seemed a little off. She had a feeling the whole day would be a little off. 

     “I hope today's a good day.” She muttered as she heard her mother descend down the stairs. “Hey.” She greeted as her mother walked through the door. 

    “How do you feel honey?” Her mother asked as she picked up the mug Jessie left on the  counter.

    “Just peachy. Never been better.” Jessie deadpanned out before sipping her coffee. Her mother threw her a look over her shoulder and she started to make some breakfast. Jessie just sighed. “I'm living. My side still kills but it will heal.I’m not sure when I will be able to swim again.”  Jessie said before finishing her coffee. 

    “I'm sorry to hear that.” Her mother said apologetically. 

    “Me too.” Jessie sighed as she set her mug in the dishwasher. She left her mother to her toast and went to grab everything she needed for the day. She had to be careful swing her backpack over her shoulder. Just as she was ready to leave she stared at herself in the mirror that sat in the corner of her room. She looked at herself standing there and then stared directly into her eyes. 

    “ You are okay.” She repeated the words until she believed them. 

    “Jessie!  I have to be to work early so we need to get going!” Her mother called from down stairs.

    “Coming!” Jessie quickly ran down and followed her mother out to the car. 

_ You are okay.  _


	7. “Mr. Hero of The Day”

   Jessie had had a rather normal start of her school day. She went through the motions like an actor. She smiled at her friends. She put her books in her locker. She raised her hand when she knew the answer. She blamed the sudden cringes of pain on nothing more than period cramps.  She did not mention the Wayne party. She did not mention meeting the Joker. She did not mention the terror that was building up inside of her. She was going to be okay. Jessie walked to her government class and took her seat quickly. She unloaded her backpack and sat patiently waiting for class to start. She took deep breaths and tried to remain calm every time someone walked through the door. A flash of purple or a hint of green sent her heartbeat skyrocketing. As the thirteen people entered, she counted she was ready to have a goddamn break down. How come so many people were wearing green today? Was there a memo she missed? However, all there was, was heather grey pulled over strong shoulders. It was Connor. She smiled as he came in but quickly blushed and looked away when he smiled back. 

    “Hey, Jess!” Connor called out and stood beside her. “Spot taken?” He asked pointing to the seat next to her. “Not anymore! Ah. I mean unless you don’t want to sit there.. which you can because.. no one was sitting there… ” Jessie just stopped talking and let her blush climb up her face silently cursing every god in existence for her terrible social skills. Connor just smiled and shook his head slowly taking the seat. They sat quietly listening to the mindless chatter of their fellow classmates. Finally, Mr. Bates came in, his presence quieting the class.

     “Alright, kids. You know what today is. Presentations!” The class groaned in unison. “Come on, now you can’t get homework because there is no lesson. Anyway, onto our topic of today, ‘Event’s the influence Gotham’s government’.” Mr. Bates smiled as he sat down at his desk in the back of the room.  

   “I hope you all had a good weekend.  Is anyone missing today...” Mr. Bates went on to take roll call and berate people for not turning in their homework. “Alright let's get started, shall we! Sam, you are up!” Mr. Bates said casually while looking at the roster. Slowly Sam walked up holding on to her paper for dear life. 

    “I- ah I'm doing my report on... um,” she fidgeted, “Ah I know this is um….  I'm doing my paper on the Wayne murder.” 

  ‘“Oh wow. How original.” Someone muttered on Jessie’s left. Sam finally started to spit out the infamous story. No one really paid attention. Slowly Jessie's classmates were called up and Jessie felt her painkillers starting to wear off. She tried to concentrate on not passing out on the floor from the pain shooting up her side. 

   “Jessie! You are up.” Jessie opens her binder to pull out her note cards. She stands and begins to head to the front of the room. 

   “Break a leg.” Conner said as she passed him. A warm feeling spreads through her that slowly melts away the pain. She stood before the class ignore the throbbing in her head, her side, her left elbow, her clavicle. It was basically everywhere. She took a deep breath and was about to start her less than interesting presentation on the deinstitutionalization of Arkham Asylum in the 1960’s leading to a power struggle for the mental health sector in Gotham when some kid in the back of the class spoke up. 

    “Hey aren't you that girl who went to the Wayne party?” They asked. Mr. Bates spoke up in response. 

    “Jimmy, now is not the time to discuss Miss Lawson’s representation of our school on Friday.”

    “Didn’t you hear what happened? She stood up to the Joker. Like THE Joker!” He said with a shit-eating smirk plastered over his face. A small wave of panic rushed over her at the mention of the villain. 

    “I- uh yeah.” She stuttered and felt another wave of pain in her head. 

    “Yea! And you stopped him, didn’t you? You stopped the Joker.” He yelled from across the room. 

    With a blink of an eye, shouts were being thrown at Jessie. Jessie was soon crowded with people around her and questions and comments yelled at her. She raised her hands to try and create space between her and the mob but it didn’t work out that well. The crowd of children seemed to grow louder at her attempts to get away. Finally, the roar of children only seemed to become of one thing… or name “Joker”. She could hear his laughter in the back of her mind. She needed to get out. She needed to leave. Tears spilled over her lower lids and she pushed past the crowd and ran out the door and to the nurse. As she ran out she heard someone yell. “Goddamn it Jimmy!” She heard Mr. Bates try to gain control of his class. She didn’t care what happened for running out. She just wanted to get away from the madness and try and get rid of whatever pain she felt. Finally, she burst through the door of the nurse's office and felt tears pour over her cheeks. She couldn’t go any farther. Slamming the door behind her she slid down it to sit on the ground. She let it all out right there. All that pain and anguish she had been bottling up seemed to seem out of her through her tears. 

    She felt the nurse come and comfort her. Jessie felt the genuine concern from her as she slowly patted her back and helped her to her feet. She was grateful that even though the nurse was just doing her job she did it caringly. She slowly sat down on the designated cot. She remembers laughing about it and how no matter what injury you had you were always directed to the cot. Broken arms, legs or hearts could all be cured with the legendary cot. She doubted it could cure her broken mind though. The nurse sat next to her and handed her a cup of water and some painkillers. 

    “Do you need anything else or just a shoulder to cry on?” The nurse asked quietly. Jessie shook her head as she swallowed the painkillers in one go. She had forgotten about the pain in her side through all the crying and emotional distress. The nurse stood and went back to sit behind her desk. She tapped quickly at her computer. “What is your name hon?” 

    “Lawson, Jessica Lawson.”  Jessica said wiping the tears from her face with the back of her hand. The nurse handed over a box of tissues one handling as she logged Jessica information into the computer. Jessica pulled a few out and wiped her damp eyes. She was glad she hadn’t put on any makeup today as it would probably be smeared all over her face in less than attractive black smudges. The nurse got up and filled her cup with more water sitting back down on the cot next to her . 

    “Do you need anything else? You can just lay here until you feel better or we can call your parents to come pick you up.” Jessie sighed and pulled herself into a sitting position.

   “Can you call my mom to get me out early?” All Jessie wanted to do was go home. Go home a get some sleep. The nurse nodded and gave her the water before going over to her phone. Taking a deep breath she downed the water quickly and scooted back on the cot so she could lean on the wall. Whilst trying to relax she heard the door open.

    “Jessie?” She heard a familiar voice ask. She looked up to see heather grey wrapped over strong shoulders. 

   “Hi, Connor.” She smiled as Connor walked in and sat by her. 

   “Hey.” He said softly sitting down next to her. “Sorry about government.” He said looking down and scratching his neck. “That was… shitty of Jimmy.” 

   “It’s alright. Well, It will be alright. It’s not even your fault.” Jessie said trying to pull her herself together so she didn’t look like she was a complete mess. Which she was, but Connor didn’t need to know that. 

    “Hey, did you know the worst time to have a heart attack is during a game of charades.” He said smiling trying to lighted mood. Jessie looked at him with a somber face. “I don't find health-related puns funny anymore.” She paused for dramatic effect. “You know, since I started suffering from an irony deficiency.” Connor, Jessie, and even the nurse burst out with laughter. Jessie felt so good laughing. It lifted her spirit and she felt a smile crawl across her face. There was a comfortable silence for a few seconds before Connor spoke again. 

    “You don't actually have an iron deficiency do you?” He asked concerned. Jessie smiled and shook her head. 

    “No, I don’t silly.” She saw him smile. She loved that smile but would take that secret to the grave. 

     “Okay Jessie, you are good to go home.” The nurse said and started working on her computer. “Your mom is at work but she said that she's confident you can walk home and we'll see you tonight.”

    “You're going home?” Connor questioned.

    “I think it would be for the best. Today has been way more stressful than I planned for.” She sighed and stood with very minimal pain. “ Shoot!” Jessie exclaimed as she realized she left all of her belongings in Mr. Bates’ classroom. She silently debated whether it was worth it just leave it there rather than face everyone to go retrieve it. Maybe she could send her mom after school to get it. A grin split over Connor’s face as a blush crawled up his neck. 

    “Forgot your stuff?” He said with a small smirk. 

    “Yeah and I really don't want to go get it,” Jessie said pushing some hair behind her ears. She rubbed her hands over her face and sighed. 

    “Well then good thing the excuse I made to come down here was to bring you your stuff!” Connor said gesturing to her backpack she hadn't noticed slouched under a chair. Jessie smiled and shook her head. 

    “Thanks Connor. You are too kind.” She said picking it up and shrugging it over her shoulder. The pain killers must have kicked in because she no longer felt pain shooting up her side every time she remotely moved. 

    “Be safe when you walk home.” He said sweetly and opened the door for her.

    “Alright, mom.” She laughed as she walked through the door and made her walk home. 


	8. “The Party Bus”

   The Universe eventually regressed to the mean. A month passed by quickly leaving behind a trail of days she couldn’t remember because they had turned back to normal. The bruises were gone, the nightmares were lingering and her mother had returned to work like normal. They had both bushed the horrible memory of the party to the back of their minds. After she had run out of government class she faced little spotlight about her meeting with the Joker. Jessie still got questions of course, most by less than kind people, but not as many. With Gotham being a rough and tumble place the excitement of such an event wears off. Jessie walked out of her creative writing class on the fifth Friday since the party. She went to her locker and quickly shoved all of her stuff in her bag hoping to avoid the rush of people going to their lockers. Gathering all her stuff she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She quickly opened it up to her text messages and saw one from her mother.

_ “Hey, Jessie. Had to leave work early. Looks like I caught the flu. :( See you after school.” _ Jessie frowned and replied asking if her mother wanted her to pick up anything after school. They hadn’t grocery shopped since last Sunday and would be low on the get well necessities. She bundled her coat around her and stepped out into the cold Gotham air. She walked quickly home anxious to see her mother. She arrived in half the time and bounded up the stairs to their apartment. Slamming the door behind her she shouted up the stairs. 

    “Mom! I’m home!” She shouted into the house kicking her shoes off.

    “I’m in here!” She heard her mother call from their living room.  Walking into the living room she saw her mother sitting there looking like a mess. 

   “Mom! What are you doing out here? You look like death. Go take a nap or something!” Jessie said sitting down on the chair across from her mother. Her mother smiled and sat up. 

“I know, I know. I just got tired of laying in bed all day. Thought I would change it up. Besides, I want to hear about your day. How did the math quiz go?” Jessie made small talk with her mother about her day. She filled her in on all the latest gossip about Jenny getting dumped by Kevin for Diana and how Tracy didn’t want to sit at their table in English anymore because she fell out with Karla. As she was launching into the latest new of Tyler getting suspended she heard her mother groan in pain. 

     “Mom. You seriously need to go lay in bed.” She and her mother had a stare off before Jessie’s mother gave in. 

    “Fine.” Jessie smiled as went over to help her sickly mother up the stairs and into her bed. She made sure her mother had a full glass of water and a comfortable pillow before heading to her room. She pulled her homework out of her backpack and got to work on her English essay. Time flew by faster then she thought because before long she felt her stomach rumble. She stopped her work and walked to her fridge only to find it empty of anything appetizing to eat.

     “I knew we wouldn’t have anything.” She muttered to no one in particular. She stopped and looked around. Her eyes landed on a sheet of paper with the list of groceries. She looked it over before she folded it up and shoved it in her pocket. She ripped out a piece of binder paper from her chemistry notebook and scribbled a note down.

_     Went food shopping. Don’t die. :) _

     She smiled as she placed the note by her mother's bedside. Before leaving she checked her purse for her phone, subway pass, and money. She left the house and headed down to the nearest subway station. It was only a few stops to their favourite grocery store and she was sure she could make it their and back before her mother even noticed she was gone. She loved that store it was small enough and affordable enough for the family of two to get all of their necessities for living. She smiled as she walked in and heard the familiar jingle from the bell as someone entered. She quickly went up and down the aisles and gathered the items on the list. She went with her basket and joined the line for the checkout. Her eyes wandered around the store as she waited and she noticed some shady characters. This was Gotham after all. 

    One guy seemed really creepy and kept looking at her. One guy kept muttering to himself and kept glancing around, and the only normal shopper seemed to be an old lady who was made right after the Earth was. Soon it was her turn to check out and she quickly handed her items to the cashier not wanting to be out any longer than she had to.

    “That's gonna be 47.59.” The bored cashier said.  Said the bored cashier. She handed him her money. Jessie quickly took her bags and left the store. She may love that store but the people in it were weird. She glanced at her watch. It was around ten o’clock at night and she was unsure if her line was still open. She decided she would just take the bus back to her house. Picking up her pace she ran back to the bus stop. She was almost there when a red umbrella opened in front of her. 

    “Hey! Be careful with that.” Jessie said angrily at the lady. 

    “Sorry! We were just on our way to the bus.” She heard a man but couldn’t see because the umbrella was still in her way. She stepped around the umbrella and shook her head. 

    “Same.” She mumbled and walked to the bus stop. She looked down the road to see the bus coming. She let out a sigh of relief knowing she had made it on time. When the bus finally pulled up and opened the doors Jessie was the first one on. She slides her metro card against the reader and took a seat in the front. The umbrella couple got on after her and sat down in the far back. She leaned her head against the window and the bus started up again street. She watched the street signs as they passed carefully looking for her stop. When she saw it approach she stood up and pressed the red button and waited by the door. Another man stood up and waited next to her. They waited for the bus to slow to a stop but it just kept driving. Jessie opened her mouth to yell at the driver to stop when the man next to her spoke up.

   “Hey! That was my stop.” He yelled as he started stomping his way up to the front. “You need to pay more-”

    The man stopped dead in his tracts as laughter filled the bus. It wasn’t just any laughter though. She knew that laugh. That laugh had haunted her for weeks.  Looking over her shoulder she saw the evil duo she never wanted to see. Joker and Harley. Harley raised a gun and shot the man dead in the chest. Jessie gasp as he hit the floor with a thud. She pulled her groceries tighter to her chest as if they would stop a bullet. She reached into her pocket feeling around for her phone her hand clasped around it. She had to make sure she used it wisely. She would not mess up this time.

     “Sorry. There are no complainers on the Party Bus!” Harley yelled making her way up to the front. “Now everybody sit down and enjoy the ride. If any of you even think about crying for help you be full of lead before you can finish your scream!” Harley turned around and pointed her gun down at the passengers. Everyone quickly sat down or cowered behind a seat. Jessie looked around and saw a few more of Joker's goons sit down next to the innocent passengers. Jessie slowly slid into a seat trying to hide behind her bags. The Joker slid in the seat beside Jessie and smiled towards her. 

   “How you doin kiddo? Long time no see! We have a lot of catching up to do” He said sinisterly. He acted like they were friends, like they known each other forever. Jessie scooted away and pressed her back to the wall of the bus trying to get away. 

     “Whatever you want Joker you're not gonna get it.” Said a brave passenger to Jessie’s right. “Batman is gonna stop you.” Joker only chuckled and shook his head.

“I’m counting on it.” He walked down the aisle to the passenger. “But sadly you won’t be here to see it.” Then Joker sprayed a gas in the passenger's face. 

     Jessie couldn't help but let out a small scream with a few of the other passengers. Looking away she looked out the window praying something or someone would save her. She looked at the window and wondered if she could manage to fit through it. She must have the worst luck in the entire world. What are the odds of two run in’s with Gotham’s most dangerous in a span of weeks. She had never seen ANY criminal activity before the party. She lived on the North side of Gotham for crying out loud. The only crimes that were committed where fashion ones. Jessie felt tears slide slowly down her face. She didn’t let them distract her from her main mission. She had set up a game plan in her head. 

Step One: Make sure no one is looking.

Step Two: Call the police.

Step Three: Make sure no one sees her call the police.

Step Four: Get rescued by the police. 

She looked around the bus making sure no one was paying attention to her. The Joker had moved up to direct the goon bus driver and /Harley was yelling at the useless goons in the back. She felt all her days of secretly being on her phone in math class had prepared her for this moment. She unlocked her phone, carefully concealed behind her groceries. 

     “Hon, why are you crying?” She heard a high pitch voice ask. It took everything Jessie had no to completely flip out and curse. She felt her heart rate kick up a thousand notches in her chest. She was certain that Harley could hear it too. Jessie scooted away and dared not looking at her. 

    “Don’t be that way.” She said to her grabbing her in a death grip. “Mama’s here for you.” Jessie was squeezed violently against the breasts of the psychopathic woman almost so hard she had trouble breathing. Her groceries were squashed in the process and that pissed her off almost as much as being assaulted with a hug. Jessie tried to wiggle out of the insane woman’s death grip but her efforts were meet with no progress as it seemed Harley had not been skipping on arm day at the gym and held on to her with a death grip. She even started softly petting her hair like a she was a small dog. Suddenly they lurched forward as the bus came screeching to a halt in an alley in what looked like the west end. 

    Jessie fell to the floor with little grace but it was better than being held by a psychopath.

     “Alright, people single file out the bus now. We don’t want anyone to get hurt or lost or SHOT IN THE FACE.” Joker commanded to the terrified people on board. Jessie, who had managed to conceal herself under the seat and hidden by her bags, watched at the goons pulled the people from their seats and hauled them out the door. Slowly she reached back into her pocket and pulled out her phone. She dialed 911 and held the phone up to her face. 

    “Nine-one-one, what’s your emergency?” The operator asked her. 

    “The Joker has taken a bus full of civilians and has held them hostage in what looks to be the west end there are about twenty of us, Harley Quinn is here and they have guns and there are lots of goons and I don’t know where he is taking us and you need to get here right away and I can’t talk for long.” All the words came out in one long breath. She gasped and felt tears roll down her cheeks. She heard someone step on the bus. “They are coming for me but I will leave my phone on so you can track it.” She then hung up the call and shoved her phone down into her bra. Jessie was suddenly pulled out from her hiding spot by one of Joker's goons.

     “Hey, boss! We got another one.” He shouted before leaning over and dragging her out from her hiding place. “Think you can get away you little twerp?” He grabs her by the hood of her jacket and pulls her out of the bus. 

      “LET GO OF ME.” She screamed and attempted to hold on to the buses seat. She nailed a kick to his shins and was about to punch him when a hand grabbed hers. 

      “Sounds like someone needs to learn their manners.” The Joker said digging his nails into her wrist. He sounded really angry and that's what scared Jessie the most. 

    Everyone who was on the bus was now standing outside. They were all deathly pale and crying. All of Joker's men were pointing guns at them. Jessie's arm was still held my Joker and he held a gun to her head. 

    “Alright everyone this is where-” Suddenly a gust of wind blew over everyone's head and a thud was heard on the bus. 

     “This is where you let them go Joker.” 


	9. "Stockholm Syndrome"

    You know in action books how they describe everything happening at once? This wasn’t like that. Jessie looks back on it and kicks herself for not doing something, anything to help. The first thing that happened was everyone whipped there heads up to look at the bus. There perched Batman in all of his justice-y glory. Jessie had never felt so relieved in her entire life. Forget what anyone said about the Batman being useless and a virus of Gotham. He was an angel who walked the Earth. Batman was glaring at Joker and Harley when he looked down at Jessie. 

    “Let them go Joker.” Batman stood up to his full height and pulled out what must be a batarang from his belt. A chuckle erupted from the crazy man’s throat. When he finally stopped laughing and looked up at the man in the cowl and smirked. 

    “Boys get him.”  The thugs immediately started firing off rounds at the Batman. There was suddenly smoke everywhere. Jessie tried to make a run for it but found herself being pulled by a strong hand around her neck. Joker and Harley made a quick getaway dragging Jessie along with them. Jessie knew this might be her only chance to escape. She started kicking and scratching throwing her small hands around trying to find the soft junctures in the other’s flesh. The more distance he put between her and Batman the harder she fought. 

     “Come on kiddo. We're almost there.” She felt the all too familiar feel of a gold gun press against her head. They had pulled her into a shipping yard and were down dragging her to what looked like a small speed boat.

     “Alright let's get going!” Harley said tossing Jessie in. She tried to scramble over to the railing hoping she would fling herself in the water but she wasn’t fast enough. A goon had grabbed her by the legs and was now wrapping duct tape around her ankles. She thanked the lord for all her years of swimming practice as she was able to place a strong kick to his face with the heel of her shoe

    “I can do this all night!” Jessie screamed trying her best to sound brave. 

    “Ah shut up.” She heard the Joker say. The next thing she knew she was smacked upside the head. She must have blacked out for the last precious moments of freedom because the next thing she could register was the figure of Batman standing on the dock. She looked around discreetly seeing if anyone had noticed she was awake. Then she took one last shot at freedom.  Jessie pushed herself over the side of the boat and began swimming. She trusted Batman would cover her if they started shooting at her. It was a frantic mermaid kick and she tried to stay underwater for as long as possible not alerting Joker to her position. Her eyes burned from the water but she just kept swimming forward. She looked back and saw the boat rapidly approaching.  As close as Jessie was to shore she knew she couldn’t make it. She took a deep breath and called out to Batman on the docks. 

    “JESSIE LAWSON!” She screamed out into the open night. She felt strong hands pull her up into the boat and pin her down. 

   “Can you not stay put for one second!” Joker said angrily. 

   “It’s fine Mista J. We can deal with it once we get back home.” Harley said and held on to his arm. Looking back she shivered from the cold so see Batman standing there in anger. The goon was holding her arm rather tightly and tightened his grip when he noticed her looking back. 

    “Ow!” She glared at him only to get a glare back.

     “You deserve it.” He muttered. 

     Jessie looked down at her hands. They were cold and numb. She continued to look at them and felt her face grow hot and tears start to well up. She knew that she failed, Batman couldn't save her, she knew she would be trapped forever and her life was in the hands of crazy people, and her mother oh her mother must be worried sick.

“Mom…” She whispered and let the tears run. She cried and let her emotions run wild. She was crying and gasping for air and the thought of her mom made her cry even more. Suddenly she felt a pair of loving arms around her giving her warmth and comfort. In all her hysteria Jessie wasn't thinking clearly and leaned into the person. Slowly she was able to gain her breath back calm down. Her eyelids felt heavy and she felt drained of energy. Falling asleep she heard someone say something. 

     “It's okay. We’re almost home”


	10. "A Bad Taste"

    Groaning Jessie sat up and rubbed her eyes. She yawned and looked around. The blur of her eyes made things hard to see. Rubbing her eyes again her vision cleared and showed where she really was. Her eyes widened in shock as she quickly stood up. She quickly turned around and looked at the dingy room. It was gross and smelt profusely of mold. The building had to be rather old. Jessie felt a shiver run over her wrapping her hands around herself she felt her clothing was still damp from her midnight swim. 

    “I need to get out of here.” She whispered to herself. She took a look around the room. It was dingy and not much light flowed in through the boarded-up windows. She ran up to the first door she saw to see a bathroom that was also in poor condition. She shut the door quietly and ran over to the windows. She tried to pry off the boards but her nails and fingers were no match for the nails that held them in place. She slammed her fist on the window trying to break it and instantly regretted it as her hand hurt.  Grumbling she looked around the room so she could find a way to make a hidey hole if necessary. There wasn’t much to go on. There was some cardboard piled up in a corner but other than that the room was bare. Going up to the last door she held her breath and opened it. She peeked through the sliver she made and looked for signs of people. No one was there. She let out a sigh of relief and stepped out into the hall. Carefully and quietly she started to walk down the hall trying to find an exit. Jessie became lost with all the twist and turns this must have been a hotel. Jessie saw a sign for stairs nearby and grew excited. Her heart rated kicked up in her chest. She hurried towards the door throwing a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure no one was following her. It apparently wasn’t quick enough. She ran straight first into a person.  

    She quickly jumped back and let out a shriek. There stood Joker smirking as if he was expecting her. 

    “Hey there! Kiddo!” He said loudly. He quickly grabbed her shoulders and hugged her. “Well, now that you're up let me walk you around tell you the rules and then lunch should be ready.” He said with one arm around her shoulders and one hand waving around like he was painting a picture. That's when he decided to start dragging her around and down her various rooms. “This is the control room but you're not allowed in there remember that.” He said but didn’t sound too serious. “This is the training room, some other rooms that you'll only discover if your a disobedient child.” She shivered in fear at the thought of it.

    “Now you’ve seen your room. This is me and Harley's room so if you need us we’ll be most likely here.” He looked at her only to see her looking away. “Are you listening.” He sounded annoyed. Jessie quickly looked at him and nodded, only out of fear. “Alright time for lunch.” She again was dragged by the madman to a large dining hall. There she saw a lot of Joker's thugs sitting. They all stopped talking and looked up at them. Jessie instantly became embarrassed and scared. Looking down she took a small step back trying to hide herself. Joker frowned.

     “Alright boys! This is Jessie! Some of you might remember her for being a pain in the ass during our little bus take over. She is a new addition to the family!” He shouted out, “So make her feel welcomed.” He smiled and looked down at Jessie. “Go eat.” He said and shoved her in the direction of the kitchen. Still feeling all eyes on her she quickly walked towards the kitchen. As she closed the door she heard Joker start giving more orders and information about ‘the missions’’ they were preparing for. Looking back up she saw a lot of women running around cooking and a certain blonde female yelling at them ordering around. I guess stereotypes even happen in the criminal world. Will sexism ever die? 

     Suddenly Harley made eye contact with her and ran over. Jessie lost all air in her lungs and Harley hugged her. 

    “How’s my girl?” She said loudly in her ear. Harley smiled and took her hand. She looked at all the girls and smiled widely. All eyes were once again on her. As she looked around at the other girls they were also terrified. “Alright ladies! Back to work, we have men to feed!” She yelled out and looked back at her as they all went back to what they were doing as well. She quickly looked Jessie up and down.

    “What is this! you are all wet. We can’t have that. You will catch death! Come on I’ll give you mine!” Jessie hesitated. Jessie knew all of Harley’s clothes were rather.. promiscuous . Jessie also knew she did not look good in a short skirt. Jessie therefore just shook her head. “Not much of a talker are ya?’” She paused for a moment. “It’s alright I still love ya. I can do the talking for both of us!” She was hugged again. Jessie wanted no more than to be out of the maniac’s arms and hit by a bus. She was then saved however by lunch. 

     There was a massive hustle and bustle and the woman started streaming out some carrying four or five plates at once. They distributed them out with a precision that must have come from terrible consequences. Jessie pushed herself out of the way still in shock of what was all happening. Her brain couldn’t think. There were plenty of knives and sharp objects surrounding her but for some reason she couldn’t grab any of them. She found herself walking out into the mess hall and just taking a seat. As soon as she sat down food and plates were being past around. Jessie only took the food she could definitely distinguish. Her plate was half empty and she didn’t dare to eat any of it she merely played with it and dared not to look at anyone. 

    “So… how are you enjoying your new life?” She heard the thug next to her ask. Is he trying to make small talk about her kidnapping? She dared not answer. “What did you get a mute kid?”

    “She's just shy around new people, let the girl live a little.” Harley said, sweety. Jessie felt very uneasy. The fact that she wasn’t beaten and raped and left in a corner set her on edge. Jessie wasn’t disappointed or ungrateful that she wasn’t in that position it was just...odd. That’s all. In fact, the more she thought about it the more terrifying the idea became. They had complete control over her. They could do anything to her and she wouldn’t be able to stop it. She was powerless. If they didn’t break her now they surely would later. She could still get out with her sanity. She was barely scratched, just a little cold and maybe a minor head injury. There was a room full of weapons not ten feet away from her. She knew kitchens had loading zones that lead outside. She just had to make it outside. Then scream for her goddamn life. She looked swiftly around at the others. They were all talking and laughing and eating. No one really paid any attention to her. She slowly started to inch herself back from the table. She placed her hands slowly under it and braced her legs. 

   She stood up pushing all the force from her legs into her hands throwing the table sideways. She didn’t leave any room for panic as she then bolted to the kitchen. She grabbed the handle threw the door open and dove inside. She ran for what looked like a block of knives when Jessie was grabbed by the collar of her shirt and yanked back.

    “Let go of me you sick fr-” Jessie fell to the floor and felt her cheek sting. Looking up she saw the Joker breathing heavily. He quickly grabbed her neck and lifted her off the ground.

    “Why can you never stay STILL!” He screamed at her as continued to add pressure. Jessie was gasping for air and clawing at his hands. She tried to get her feet up to kick him in the knees when a new strong voice rang out. 

    “PUT HER DOWN!” Harley screamed. Jessie glanced over Jokers shoulder to see her standing in the middle of the chaos-prone and ready to fight. 

    “You are so lucky.” The Joker whispered to Jessie. He then grabbed her by the base of her shirt and tore her from the room. She cried out as he dragged her through the never-ending hallways. Suddenly he stopped and opened a door. Shoving her in he slammed the door shut and locked it. The teen was quick on her feet and ran to the door trying to open it. Her efforts were in vain as the door wouldn’t budge. She was left to beating on it screaming and she soon felt tears start rolling down her cheeks. Walking over to the boarded windows she looked through the one crack to the outside world. 

    She slowly slide down the wall, huddling into a ball on the floor. After a few minutes of crying she felt the lowest she had ever felt in her life. Getting up again she wobbled and went back to the window. She started to pull at the wooden planks and at the nails trying to get a way out. Maybe she did it in pure rage, maybe from hysteria due to crying so much, or her judgment was clouded by hunger and the want to go home. Whatever the reason it forced her to continue to try and peel the wood off and the nails out until her fingers bled and had splinters in her hands. She was an animal scratching at her cage. Feeling the blood on her fingers she started trying to wipe it off onto her clothing. Trying to wipe her tears away she felt the blood stick to her cheeks and she wiped away the water. She screamed instantly and started vigorously rubbing her face only making it worse. Jessie didn't know what to do. She was truly stuck in the fear and horror of her own mind. All the screaming, crying, and trying to break the borders off she felt drowsy and fell asleep.Soon she was passed out on the cold hard ground with no more consciousness to torture her thoughts. 

    When Jessie came too she was still scared out of her mind and had absolutely no clue what to feel or what to do. She just wanted her mom to hold her again. She stayed up for hours watching the light change meaning sunrise through that window. Finally, when it was around noon she felt her stomach growled. Hitting her head on the wall she started humming trying to take her mind off of everything but one thing kept going through her mind. She continued to stare at the poorly lit ceiling and wonder the two maniacs had planned for her. 

 


	11. "Pumped Up Kicks"

    Jessie felt…. horrid. That was the only way to anyway encase the amount of terrible she had endured. She was sitting on the cold hard concrete floor of what she refused to call her room and listed as her cell in her head. Hitting her head on the wall she wondered about the time that passed. She lets her mind wander outside this room and to her old life. She continued to hit her head with a rhythm. She wandered to her mom. How much she was probably freaking out right now. She worried and worried wishing she could just send one message saying everything was okay. Even if it wasn’t, she just missed her mother to no end and wants her to live pleasantly. She shifted so she was in a more comfortable position. As she did so some of her hair fell across her face, all matted together and covered in oil. What she wouldn’t give for a shower and fresh clothes. Rubbing her eyes on her forearm she wondered what to do to pass time.  _ How about try and escape? _ Some part of her brain told her. She stuck those thoughts away for later. To tired and broken to do anything else.  Looking out of the corner of her eye she saw a strand of her hair that was all knotted up. 

    Sitting up she took hold of a strand and started slowly and carefully undoing the knots. She had spent was felt like a few hours undoing knots when she heard laughter. She froze instantaneously and listened for more noises. It was becoming louder. Jessie scooted over to the nearest corner and braced herself for anything. Finally, the laughter stopped right in front of the door. She held her breath and waited, hoping they would walk away or even unlock the door let her out. She crouched into a running position. She didn't know which was better but she was hoping for the first option. 

    Suddenly the door was thrown open scaring Jessie and making her hiss and at the new light source that made her eyes burn. Slowly opening her eyes she saw Harley and Joker standing there observing the room. She couldn’t look too good after her incident with the blood last night. 

    “Are you done having your meltdown?” Joker asked as if he was talking to a six-year-old. “Why don't you come out and join us like normal lunatic!” Looking around Joker finally laid eyes on the girl standing in the corner. “Wow! Harley look at this.” He said and hit her to get her attention before pointing over at Jessie who looked down. “Aren’t you a pathetic sight!”

     “Poor baby! Last night must have been wild.” Harley giggled. “So. Are ya’ gonna come out and be a part of the family or rot in this room? I know what choice I want.” The blonde asked and crossed her arms. Jessie didn’t look up or answer. She clenched her teeth together and stared directly ahead. She was too embarrassed about her appearance and angry about how they were treating her. 

    “Alrighty then. If that’s the way you want to play this game. Come on, Harley.” Joker said as he started closing the door. 

    “Wait!” Her voice was hoarse but Jessie bolted to the door and held her arm between the frame and the door. Joker smirked and looked over his shoulder. 

    “What is this?” Turning around he still held the door was leaving only a crack for her to be seen from. “You do want to join us?” Ashamed Jessie nodded and looked back at the ground. “Hm? What was that? I couldn’t hear you.” He said and started closing the door on her fingers. 

    “Ah! No please let me out!” Jessie quickly called out and tried to pry the door open off of her arm. She could feel its pressure bending her arm into ways she knew it wasn’t supposed to go. Suddenly the door was flung off her arm.  

  “She said she wants to join us!” Harley stood there in front of Joker looking down onto Jessie with a wide grin. “Don’t be such a party pooper.” She turned to Joker bopping him on the nose as if he wasn’t a psychopathic killer but a small child. She turns back to Jessie and whispers in her ear. “He’s still getting used to this whole parenting thing. Doesn’t have that maternal gene.” Before hooking her arm in Jessie’s and hauling her out of the room slamming the door behind her. Jessie jumped and went to fall to the floor when someone caught her. She saw the Joker was holding up her bicep in a tight grip. She stared at it wanting to burn it off. Harley and Joker burst out into a fit of laughter. Jessie was not amused and frowned.

     “Oh kid! You kill us.” Joker laughed before slapping his knee and taking a big breath. “Go do whatever it is you ladies do. I got to prepare for a big night tonight. So. Many. Clients.” He smiled. Jessie knew not to ask about his “clients”. They started walking and Jessie followed. Jessie thought of a plan as she was walking and slowed her pace. If she could get far enough away she could bolt and find a staircase and be home free. Like hell, she was going to stay here any longer. Slowly, Jessie was gaining some separation. Three paces, four paces, five, six. Soon she was almost twelve feet behind them. She was about to make her move when she hesitated. Her heart started to pound as she remembered last night. Although she's only been with them for two days she knew what these two were capable of. Even if she thought she had a chance she was too scared to act. Suddenly the only things she felt was an overwhelming sensation to vomit. Moving as quickly and as silently as she could she walked back up behind Harley. She continued to follow them until Harley stopped. Joker kept walking but Jessie was led into a new room. I was sparsely decorated with red and black decorations. Mallets and gun were thrown haphazardly over some boxes. In the corner stood a dresser with clothing spilling out of it. Harley walked over and pulled out some clothing at random.

    “You stink really bad so go shower and put these on. We have a big night tonight.”

Harley said chucking the clothes at her before pushing her through another door. 

    This new room turned out to be a bathroom. She heard the lock click behind her and she stumbled into the sink. She opened the cabinets to discover that there were, towels, soaps, toothpaste, and brush. At least there's some humanity in them. She started the shower and let the water run for a few minutes to clean out the less than identifiable material before stepping in. Letting the water run over, her she played with her father's ring she wore around her neck. She always played with it when she was nervous. She was scared about not getting to go home and see her mom again. Sighing, she stopped playing with it and started the process of washing her hair and body. 

     As Jessie was finishing up she started thinking about the time out of the hotel she was going to spend. She needed to prep herself. Batman and Robin knew who she was. They were looking for her. She just needed to wait it out. The Joker had a heist tonight and no doubt Batman would show up. If she accompanied them there was a chance she could get to him before things went south. Her strategy of fighting would be no good now that she knew just how little they cared for her well being. Turning off the water Jessie thought about her plan of action. Stepping out of the shower into the cold air the teen dried off and looked at the clothes piled on the floor. 

  It wasn’t as skimpy as she thought it was going to be. The shirt was white and the pants were just torn black and red skinny jeans. She had even thrown in some not thong-like underwear and a red bra. Jessie tugged the clothes on feeling and stepped out feeling un-cleaner than before she had taken the shower.  Peeking her head out she saw Harley waiting for her.

     “Hi’ya honey! You all done?” Jessie just stayed in the doorway. “Come on! Let me see how you look.” She smiled and began to jump up and down. Jessie needed to remember her plan. Make it seem like you are one of them. She couldn’t stab them in the back if she didn’t have a knife. She stepped out and threw a fake smile on her face. It fooled Harley as she squealed and clapped her hands. Joker then walked it. Harley made another inhuman noise and grabbed Joker's hands. “Look at our little monster!  She looks so much better doesn't she.” Harley pointed at Jessie who smiled and pushed her hair out of her face. 

    “A real part of the family” Joker exclaimed. “Now get going.” He said sternly and looked over at Jessie. “Be good to your mother.” Jessie held back her shiver of disgust as He hugged her and left. Harley then proceeded to drag her out of the hotel and down to one of Joker's vans. 

    Jessie climbed in and tried to find her seat belt while thugs loaded with masks and weapons loaded in.

   “What the kid doing here.” One asked, probably to Harley. 

   “She's getting the real Joker experience that’s what. I expect you all to look after her and NO FUNNY BUSINESS!” Harley shrieked turning around from where she was sitting in the passenger's seat. Jessie tried to squish her body closer to the window to get away from the massive thug that had plopped down next to her. Jessie settled herself against the window and quietly stared at the back of Harley. Jessie thought if she looked at her long enough all answers would be clear why they had kidnapped her but her mind seemed to wander. She thought back to her school days. It had been what a two days, no surely it had been longer than that. A week maybe? She tried to picture her friends face. She tried to conjure up where she sat in History class but found she was unable to even imagine what the classroom definitely looked like. She broke her gaze away from Harley and pressed her face against the window. She watched the world pass her by. It was dark outside, though she had no idea what time it could be. They were somewhere in the meatpacking district by the looks of the buildings. Maybe she could leave some sort of sign at their heist location. Write on the street with something. Her own blood even if she couldn’t find anything. She winced at the thought. That sounded so complicated. It would be so much easier just to follow orders. Wait it out. 

     She furrowed her brows and frowned when she finally thought about what she was thinking. That’s what they want her to do. Give up hope and just wait for that Batman. That’s how that sick bastard warped the woman’s mine in front of here. If she wanted the Batman to save her she needed to help him out. She crossed her arms and leaned against the walls glaring at everyone who sat in the back with her. Jessie grew bored and started to braid her hair to pass time. She watched the scenery change from tall buildings to small suburbs and finally into nothing but forest. Suddenly the van stopped slamming everyone forward. Everyone started filing out with practiced grace. Jessie was last and as she hopped out she began her plan of action. Smile up and brain on. She stuck to the edge of the group looking around pretending to be curious, while really analyzing the area around her. The only sign of life, however, was the industrial looking building in front of her and no doubt all the cameras on it lead to a private feed. She still made direct eye contact with everyone though. 

    “Who's there?” A speaker next to the door garbled out.  

    “Let us in Thatcher. We have an appointment.” Harley screeched. 

    “Oh! Miss Harley my apologies. Come on in. We're all ready.” As that was said the doors unlocked and Harley walked in. Jessie quickly followed as they went down hallways and through doors. The whole place looked absolutely deserted.  They walked through a door that read WAREHOUSE B and suddenly all around them was fabric. Rows and heaps and mounds of fabric. Designs were pinned upon the walls as sewing machines sat around the large room each having a different label taped across the top. As the made their way down the center aisle she was one's saying CATWOMAN and another read RIDDLER. Was there some sort of… evil… villain… tailor? 

    “Are you getting… clothes?” Jessie asked as she looked around the room.

    “Nope! You are!” She said and glanced back at the teen. Jessie looked at Harley to see she had a somewhat serious face. Jessie nodded slowly. She wasn’t quite sure how to process the fact that there was a man who dedicated his life to making clothes for supervillains. It brought to mind a lot of questions such as, was there a superhero tailor? Jessie eventually came to the obvious conclusion that anything was better than this outfit. She could already feel the sweet scent of Harley’s perfume rubbing off on her. The sooner she could be seven hundred miles away from these clothes the better. They reached the end of the warehouse, now probably sweatshop, and walked through a set of double doors. They entered a room that somewhat resembled a wedding store dressing room. It had all the features of a “Say Yes to the Dress” show except for the complete chaos of fabric that looks like it was projectile vomited across the walls. A lanky man stood in the center. He turned around and flashed a huge grin at Jessie.

    “Is this our new toy?” The man strode forward and began circling around Jessie. He looked like the love child of Tuxedo Mask from Sailor Moon and Magnus Bane. “She will do wonderfully.” He then whisked out of the room without another word. Jessie decided she liked him the best so far.

    “I remember when I was making my first costume.” Harley said breaking the awkward silence. “ I actually had to make it. It was TERRIBLE! I tried to use my old Arkham uniform.” She let out a screeching laugh. Jessie held back a wince as best she could. “That that did not work. You're so lucky you have us. ”She smiled and hugged her and for that small moment, Jessie forgot who she was with and smiled as if she was with a friend. She was about to hug back but when she looked for her friend she found Harley. Jessie took a moment then, looked up at her and just said. “Why?” 

    “Why what?’’ Harley asked.

    “Why would you leave your job for him.” She figured Harley was smart enough to figure out who he was. “You had a life, a job, a career even. What could make him so great to give all that up?” Jessie couldn’t fathom it. Harley gave up complete control of her life to some.. Murdering deranged abusive psychopath who probably doesn’t care about her at all. If she was correctly remembering the charity gala he LEFT her behind. However, Harley just smiled and looked away as if she was remembering the happiest moment in her life. Sadly enough, it probably was. 

    “When I first met Joker I knew nothing about him. The only thing I had to do was fix him up.” She paused. “But he showed me his world and showed me a new way of life, one that was so much better than the pathetic life I used to have.” Jessie is sure having a doctorate and working at an acclaimed mental facility was really pathetic. 

   “You want this crazy life?” Jessie lost her fake smile and replaced it with a scrutinizing look for a moment. 

    “For the person you love, you do crazy things.” She looked over at her. “And soon you'll accept this life too.” That made Jessie uncomfortable. She was doing all she could to try to hold on to her sanity and what she heard from the Harley made her start thinking she had no way of getting out of this. She was about to respond when Mr. Flamboyant came back with a dress thrown over his shoulder. 

    “I found the perfect one.” He slid it off the hanger and unzipped it. “Alright take off your clothes.” She looked around. Right here? When no one moved to show her to a changing room she slowly started unbuttoning her pants. “We haven’t got all night, come on.” The tailor told her edging her on. She took off her clothes and stood before them in her underwear trying to seem as confident as she could. At least Mr. Tailor was probably gay. For some reason, she just didn’t like to stomach dressing in front of guys. It was the way their eyes lingered. He pulled the dress over her body and zipped it up. It was black and white with a sweetheart neckline and stopped mid-calf. She felt weird with how short it was the dress much more revealing than she was used to. It fit her tightly and was made of a material that should be on Olympic gymnast, not her. When she finally looked up at the old mirror she was taken aback. She actually looked decent. Her mind began to race about what people would think or her when they saw her. As she was thinking her mind went back to three people. Connor, her mom and her dad. One didn’t even know her that well, one was probably bawling her eyes out and the other was dead. She didn’t feel comforted in the dress as much. She tried to smile, to keep up the facade but a memory hit her. She remembered trying on dresses with her mother. She had a dress already and it was at home, where she should be, with her mother.  Her mother should be with her getting dresses made and joking about what her father would do if he was still around. An all-consuming hatred started swelling up in her gut. She pull back her tears and let out the biggest smile she could. 

   “I think this would go excellent with some stockings,” Jessie said. She walked over to where she had seen some lying and tugged them one. No one saw her stuff a pair of fabric scissors down her bra. 


	12. "Your Part in the Play"

When the girls came home they were greeted by a Joker yelling. “No, you will do what I tell you because I’m the boss.” Jessie put her hate in her eyes and just kept walking forward. She even linked her arm with Harley as they walked toward Joker’s voice. They entered into a large ballroom.  In the center of the room, Joker stood holding a crowbar over a terrified person.  

    “Puddin!” Harley called out happily and walked over to Joker.

    “WHAT DO YOU- Oh! Hello Harley! Jessie! Why don’t you look wonderful.” He stepped towards her still holding the bloody crowbar. “Give Daddy a twirl!” Jessie did her best to spin around without having the dress fly up and flash everybody in the room. She also tried not to vomit slightly from the fact that a homicidal thirty years old was checking her out. 

    A smile crossed his face, “Now that you are officially part of the family! I’ll show you how to have a good time.” He laughed and pulled Jessie over to the person in the middle of the room. “ I know you might be upset being away from your other mom but it’s not too bad here.” He then gestured towards the trembling man on the ground. “Now you see, little old Jarry here owes me some money.” He glared at him.  “He tried to skip town on pay day and I didn't like that.” He then pulled Jessie closer to him and put the crowbar into her hands. “So, we decided to deal with our problems like real men and he's having the time of his life.” He laughed. “Go ahead whack away! Let whatever emotions are making you upset out on Jarry here.” He laughed and took a step back. Jessie stood there terrified. She didn’t want to beat up some stranger for no reason. She felt the blood in her veins run cold. This was not part of her plan. She did not ACTUALLY want to be like them. Only pretend to.

     “Well? Come on we don’t get all day.” Joker placed his hands on his hips when Jessie didn’t move. “Well, what are you waiting for?” Jessie gripped the crowbar very tight and took a deep breath. She looked down on the man on the floor. He was curled up into the fetal position on the floor and was emitting soft whimpers. Jessie took a deep breath and swung. She kept hitting and hitting and swinging until finally she pulled the bar back and it slipped out of her hands and flew across the room. She stood there looking down at her mess.

    Joker started laughing.

    “I don’t know how you did it!” He said in between cackles. “But you managed not to hit him! Not even once! That has to be a new record. Carlos.” He snapped his fingers at one thug. “Make that a new record in our books. Twenty-one swings and not a single one lands, except to the poor floor of course.” Joker sashes his way over to her grabbing the crowbar as he approaches. He stands behind her and starts rubbing her shoulders like a boxer before a big game. “I got it. You're just nervous because you don't have much experience in my field of work.” He smiled and grabbed Jessie's hands pressing the crowbar once more into her hands and started to swing her arms back and forth as if he was a father teaching his kid how to play baseball. Jessie could anticipate what was coming next. “You just gotta put a little more swing into it, darling.” Jessie was thinking as fast as she possibly could to get herself out of this situation.

   ‘“But Daddy!” Play the part Jessie. It’s just a role. She is part of a play. “My arms are tired. Can I try again tomorrow.” She’ll just have to dig herself out of that hole tomorrow. Maybe, she can not like the sound or getting dirty. Joker sighed. 

    “Alright then. Since you asked so nicely. Run along. I’ll finish here.” Jessie gave a parting look of sorrow to the man before walking as fast as she though socially acceptable towards the door. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she made a beeline for the door and down the halls to her room. Joker and Harley watched her run. Harley made a step to go and follow her. All motherly like to check on her little duckling but Joker held up his hand and stopped her. They would stay and let the glory seep in. He thought he broke her and was winning the game of cat and mouse with this girl. She knew he was winning as well but she wouldn't give it and Joker always loved a good game. He chuckled and turned to his men. The screams of the man started up as she shut the door behind her. She started walking down the hallway when she realized she and no idea where she was going. They had just let her leave. No escort, no babysitter, no nothing. She was totally and completely alone. It was almost as if she could just walk out the front door and no one would know.

No one would know. 

    Jessie began walking down the hallway. She strode carefully down the carpet hallways looking around and listening more carefully than during any class she had ever taken. She finally found a flight of stairs and she followed the loop all the way down to the bottom. She pushed out of the final door and into a back alley. She ran down the shadowed street and into the mid-morning air. The sun shone on her for the first time in day? Weeks? Months? She took in a deep breath and set a foot out in the street when everything went dark. 


	13. "The Last Stand"

    Jessie woke up to the left side of her head feeling like fire. Pushing herself up off the ground she looked at her surroundings. She was back in the room with the boarded up room. Well, shit. Panic filled the girl's chest and she reached for her father's ring but it wasn't there. Jessie spun around looking on the ground for her ring. 

     “Looking for something?” A voice asked behind her. Spinning around Jessie saw Joker sitting in the corner playing with something in his hands. “Did you really think you could get away from me?” He looked up at her and stood. He began walking towards her. “You really think you can get away from all of this?” He gestured to the room and then himself. As he walked towards her Jessie was walking away from him. Joker suddenly sped up and grabbed Jessie's neck pinning her to the wall. She grabbed his hand and tried to pull it away.

    “Let me go!” She demanded.  

    “You're not in the best position right now girly so, I think you need to listen to me.” He glared at her and held a ring between two of his fingers. “Or you'll end up like pops.” Her eyes widened and she reached out for it.

    “Give that back that's my-” He added pressure to her neck making her gasp. “S-stop.”She used one hand to claw at his and the other trying to get the ring. He started laughing.

    “Wow! You know, I thought you would have learned from pops about when to stop and listen to the boss.” Jessie glared at him and spoke up.

    “Y-you don't c-ontrol me.” Jessie felt slightly light headed but continued to fight back. 

    “HA! You know who said the exact thing? Your dad before I stuck a bomb on his chest. HA!” He threw his head up. “If you're so much like him you won't need this.” He smiled at her and threw his hand back releasing the ring.

    “No!’ She screamed and started kicking trying to get out of his grip. She watched in horror and the ring rolled toward a vent. Jessie had to save that ring, lifting her foot up she let her heel slam into his knee causing him to drop her. Scrambling to her feet Jessie runs to the ring but it's too late it already rolled down the vent by the time she reached it. Jessie sat on her knees and hunched over the vent and hung her head in shame. Joker burst out in laughter. “I'm sorry kid but you know bad things happen sometimes.” He kept laughing and Jessie looked up and glared at him. Standing up she balled up her fist and turned to him. 

     “Are you upset you lost a piece of metal that was the only thing you had left to remember your father. How pathetic.” He glared at her. He was mocking her and Jessie was not going to stand anymore and accept this. Running forward, Jessie swung her fist at his jaw and managed to hit him. Her chest was rising up and down in anger as she took deep breaths and prepared to hit Joker again. 

    “You don't talk about my family that way.” She said through clenched teeth and swung again. Joker grabbed her fist and frowned. “Jessie, Jessie, Jessie.” He tsked and shoved her away from him. Jessie fell the floor and growled at Joker. “You're going to regret that.” He replied and started towards her. Jessie raised her leg and kicked him at the last second and crawled away from him. He grabbed her ankle and pulled her back. ”You little brat.” He raised his fist and swung down on her. She let out a yelp but fought back. Then Jessie remembered her scissors. She felt down her dress and pulled them out wielding them like a sword. 

    “You can not break me, I won't let you.” Jessie said. She lunged forward plunging the scissors deep into the Joker’s chest. She yanked them back out and slams them back down into his shoulder. She looked him dead in the eyes. “You have no power over me.” Fuck, the play, fuck her part. She was going down fighting. She was not going to keel over and let some murdering psychopaths play dress up with her while killing people in the next moment. She was going to go big and she was going to go home. Joker headbutts her and she sees everything go blurry and she stumbles back. She falls to the floor and hears the click of the door locking and rolled onto her side. Taking a deep breath Jessie felt tears roll down her cheeks. She was beyond angry and was now ready to kick, bite and claw her way out of here. 

 


	14. New Rules

     Jessie lost track of time as she sat in that cold cell. She was starving, in pain, and smelled absolutely horrid but she was not going to give up. While she festered in her own filth she also festered in her anger. She had become a ticking time bomb ready to destroy whoever opened that door. Over the past few days she head heard a lot yelling and shuffling of things. She rubbed her bruised knuckles on the cold concrete letting herself get used to the pain.  Jessie had no more tears to cry and felt numb. She felt numb of everything, the world, her feelings, thoughts, and her body. In her mind very little could possibly make her get up and move. The heard the door creak open and felt her body stiffen. This time not with fear but with determination. 

     “Aren’t you pathetic. ” She looked over her shoulder to see the man she hated with all her being. She stood up slowly, careful not to let all the blood flow out of her head. She stood as confident as she could looking at his silhouette in the door frame. He stepped into the room followed by several thugs. At least he knew to bring back up this time. Jessie loosened slightly knowing she couldn’t take on five guys at once. Especially now that she has lost her scissors.  

    “What nothing to say?” He smirked. If she had anything to say to him it would be rude and probably earn her another beating. She just shrugged one should. Carelessly, like she couldn’t even put in the effort to use both shoulders. Secretly, she didn’t trust her voice. It was so scratchy and raw she would sound like a teenage boy going through puberty. He grabbed her bruised wrist and pulled her forward towards him causing her to wince. “Let’s get moving then” He pulled her out of the room and down the hall with an iron grip on her wrist. She pulled up quickly then back down. Her time alone had given her a chance to stew over every fighting game, action movie, and self defence class she had ever seen allowing her to think of moves to throw people off of her. He growled.

    “I can walk by myself.” Her voice did sound horrible and very soft and scratchy, she hated it and the way it made her throat feel. 

    “I’m sure you can, but at the moment you aren't of my best side so be quiet.” He said in a demanding voice. Jessie just clenched her teeth and kept her eyes forward. 

   “Will you give me the courtesy of knowing where we are going? ” Jessie asked as they started walking the familiar route towards the parking garage. 

    “So now you want to talk?” Joker said sarcastically. “You're having a check-up with the good doctor.” He said right before she was shoved into the back of a van. With the doors slammed shut and her in the back of a van with two thugs she was left to her own thoughts. She knew now was her chance to muster up all the courage, calmness and strength she could. She had a feeling she would need it. 

     The car ride wasn’t nearly as long as she would have liked it to be. All to soon two thugs grabbed her ruffly by the arms and pulled up. She tried to get out of their grip, insisting that she could walk for herself. They only smirked and carried her out to a gross old building that should not in any means be used for medical practices. Jessie didn’t know what kind of doctors wanted criminals went to but they really need to up their standards. The thugs dragged her up and to the front door, barely letting her toes touch the ground. She had to admit she felt pretty kick ass being treated like a highly dangerous threat. They dropped her when they reached the door and she did her best to brush herself off. One thug banged on the door. Another thug pace his hand on her shoulder

   “Harley wanted you to know she-” Jessie jerked her shoulder away. “Don't touch me.” She said. The door suddenly opened again and there stood a man clad in a long scraggly coat and an almost militaristic looking vest. He was wearing a half gas mask and his eyes were a terrifying shade of brown. Jessie's gaze slide past him and into the building where she saw a dentist chair featuring restraints, a tray of needles, and what look like gas canisters. 

   “Oh hell no.” Jessie said before kicking and pushing back against the mass of thugs behind her. When the thugs tried to get her through the door she put her feet on one part of the door frame and used all her force to stay outside the room of death.

     “Get down you bitch!” Thug number three said trying to pry her off the doorframe.

     “I AM NOT GOING IN THERE!” She screamed and fought back. “YOU WILL HAVE TO HAUL MY COLD DEAD CORPSE IN THERE!” Scarecrow let out a chuckle. 

    “That can be arranged very easily.” He said in his raspy voice. Jessie tried to think of a way to escape this, for an exit route, but the only thing running through her head was ‘nopenopoenopenopenopenopenope. The thugs finally figured out that if each of them took a limb they could carry Jessie in. She was thrown into the chair and very forcefully strapped down. 

  “What was the intended outcome of today?” Scarecrow asked slowly making his way forward. If Jessie didn’t know one hundred percent what was going to happen to her right now she would have been comforted by his slow walk and tone of voice. 

   “Obedience.” Thug number two or one answered. Jessie lost track. 

   “Alright. You are free to go.” He said casually. They nod and walk away leaving the doctor and a very angry teen alone. Jessie then pulled out her last tactic she could remember. Scarecrow starts forming a word and Jessie just opens her mouth and lets out a prolonged shriek. He stops and looks at her for a moment. He then tries to speak again and Jessie starts screaming again. He squints his eyes at her and walks forward till they are face to face. 

    “Do you think this is a game?” He demands getting into her face. 

    “Listen. I am just trying to stay as sane as I possibly can! Not getting shot up with whatever that is.” Jessie nods towards the chemicals that definitely should not go into your body. “Is the best first step.” Jessie cries. “You are a physiatrist right! You understand what I’m going through here!”

    Scarecrow pulls over an office chair next to her and sits down. “I have a job to do as well. I’m sure as an understanding person you get that.” She scrunches her face at having her words recycled. He put his hand up to her neck and she flinched when she felt his little fingers on her neck. They were cold and made her feel uncomfortable. “What are you doing?” She asked giving him the side eye. 

    “Taking your heartbeat while your calm.”

    “Do you think I am calm right now?” Jessie says looking at him. “Do I look calm to you? I know you haven’t be around people in a while, but seriously man.”   

    “You’re afraid?” Scarecrow asks.

    “YOU BET I AM! I’M ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED MAN!” Jessie knows she has lost it. Jessie knows she should probably keep quiet. Jessie knows she should be acting tough but she is so done right now. All she wants is to go home and get away from this complex mess of the criminal underworld she has found herself in. And right now she just really needs to vent to someone who isn’t completely nuts, and since she’s talking to Scarecrow, that is saying something. “I don’t know what I am doing and I get that I stabbed Joker and like that probably pissed him off-”

   “You stabbed the Joker?” Scarecrow looks at her with a strange expression on his face. 

   “He started it! I swear!” Jessie defends herself. “But I didn’t beat up that guy like I could have. Karma must have one good thing coming for me in the future then. I also didn’t tell Mr. Flamboyant that his outfit made him look dumb!” She spews trying to procrastinate getting stabbed with needles. “I’m a good person! The whole reason this started was because I fundraising for my school! Why is this happening to me?” She finishes breathing deeply. He just blinks a couple of times before rolling away into the dark shadows of the room. He comes back with three canisters and set them on the table of needles next to her. He unscrewed all three and smiled. Using a needle he pulled out equal parts of a green liquid, blue liquid, and a fiery red liquid. They all mixed together to make a very gross and scary looking blackish-purplish mixture. 

  “What's that?” Jessie asked relaxing back into her chair. She’s trying to remember the deep breathing exercises from the yoga unit of PE. She feels that they would help her now.  

  “I’m glad you asked, most of my patients don't ask so they never get to know what they're truly going through.” He comments before continuing. “The green one, which you should be familiar to is Joker's laughing gas, the non deadly kind. The red one is my usual fear gas and the blue is a new type of fear gas I made today.” He held up the container, plunging a needle into it. “It’s supposed to show you fears you didn’t even know you had.” He brings the needle towards her arm. As he injects it into her arm Jessie grumbles.

    “Beta testing. I am literally being used for Beta testing. Wait. Today? You said today right? Great. Not even Beta testing. That shit’s in Alpha. This is Alpha testing.”

     “Congrats on knowing the stages of testing.” He quips. He takes out the needle then rolls around to face her front and taps his clipboard with a pencil.

    “Now what?” Jessie asks. She doesn’t feel any different, her arm is just a little sore.

    “Now we wait.”


	15. "Where My Demons Hide"

     Opening her eyes again Jessie looked around the dark room she was in. She looked down at her body to see she was no longer restrained. She slowly took a step forward. It was cold and every step she took she felt as if the floor would crumble beneath her. She held her breath and began to walk forwards. As she continued to walk she took a look around at her surroundings. It seemed that she was in the middle of a decayed city. The sunlight up the backs of building and cast long shadows as it slowly sank beyond the horizon. In the far distance, she saw a building standing tall. She began running towards it. As she was running it began to rain, lightning began to strike near her and thunder clapped around her. She tried to outrun it but a lightning bolt came down directly in front of her, causing her to scream. 

    She stopped and continued to watch as lightning shot near her. She tried in vain to reach the building but the thunder knocked her senses around in her brain and the rain distorted her vision. Lightning kept coming down to strike her out with a vengeance she didn’t know electrons had. She soon found herself in what looked like Gotham North Park. She ran for cover under a large tree when the sky cracked and came down on the tree, causing it to fall directly towards Jessie. Her eyes widened and she began to run from it. Every time she looked back at it it seemed closer and always seemed to follow her no matter which way she ran. Jessie felt a tug on her leg and tripped. Looking back she saw the tree fall down on her foot. She let out a scream of pure pain and terror, even though she felt nothing. 

    She felt a hand grab her and pull her out from the tree. When she turned to thank whoever it was she was face to face with Scarecrow. She let out another scream of terror and felt something prick her arm. She pulled away and backed away in horror as the figure started growing taller and more distorted with every second. Then she was back in the city. Except for this time, it was no longer decayed but bustling with people that walked ran and skipped in every which way. She recognized it as.. Gotham? She found herself wandering down street after street until her feet finally lead her home. Except when she arrived at her apartment she found it falling apart, destroyed, graffitied and even burnt. Her eyes widened and she ran in. Tears streamed down her face, the inside was worse. 

    “MOM!” She screamed out. She had to be here somewhere, Jessie knew that. When she ran upstairs she ran straight to her mother's room. There she saw her mother on a chair looking down. “Mom?” She said hesitantly with tears still falling down her cheeks. When she was finally close enough she lifted her mother's head to only see burnt and rotting flesh. She screamed and fell to the floor crawling backward away from it. Scrambling to her feet she-she turned around suddenly finding herself in her father’s old place of work. Her heart stopped for the smallest second; she saw her father again. She smiled and began to run to him. She was less the ten feet away from the door when an explosion happened and left her standing in horror. Her fear took over again forcing her to scream again calling to her father. She broke down crying and fell to her knees. Covering her face she tried to shake the images away. 

     She felt something sharp enter her arm and a loud, dark and menacing voice speak. ‘Why don’t you open your eyes!” It demanded. Jessie’s eyes shot open. The Gotham skyline was gone. Instead, she found herself in a vast room. There were sculptures and artifacts littered around the room encased in spotless glass. At the end stood a large display. Jessie walked towards it slowly, not taking in anything else in the room. There sat a large book, almost like a scrapbook. Jessie opened it up carefully to reveal pictures of Harley and Joker. They were burning down furniture and destroying walls. Someone was getting tortured. As Jessie flipped through the book faster and faster she realized, this was her house, that was her mother! Her eyes widened and she felt sicker and sicker as she came to the last picture in the book. 

     She felt more tears stream down her face. It was of her holding her mother's bloodied head up smiling while Joker hugged her and Harley smiling behind her mother. “No!” Jessie cried and shoved the pedestal away along with the book. She could no longer look at the book of her horrid future and cried. 

    “Is that what I’m supposed to turn out to be?” Jessie wondered to the empty room.

     “No, you’ll be like me.” Said a very creepy voice behind her. Turning around Jessie came to see herself. Except it wasn’t her. This girl held blood stained clothes and had adorned the colors of green and purple like she was born into them Her hair was blonde and pulled back into high ponytails that ended with ombre of red to match the blood on her clothes. Weapons adorned every part of her body and as she smiled at Jessie, it seemed the entire world became unsettled.  Jessie backed away from herself. 

    “What scared of who you are?” Her doppelganger laughed and went to attack. Jessie put her hands up and defended herself. The two fought for a while. When Jessie had finally gotten the upper hand and pinned her darker self down. She ripped the knife from her dark sides hand and plunged it down into her throat. Jessie blinked and gasped in fear. Her evil self fell away to show the dying face of Connor.

    “Connor? Connor! No Connor, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to!’ She cried and held her hands over her mouth. It was to late he was all bloodied and bruised, and now dead. Laughter filled the air and a flash of light lit off. 

     “Good work kiddo.” Laughed Joker causing the already loud laughter to grow louder. She looked up at him and backed away shaking her head.

     “No! No, I didn’t mean to!” Jessie’s voice was fading and scratchy, and she felt her eyes burn from all the crying. 

     “Awe honey. Come to mama and papa.” Said Harley. She made a slow movement towards Jessie. The walls seemed to join in on the laughing causing more noise to the mayhem. The laughter wouldn't go away. Jessie held her hands over her ears and cried and screamed for the laughing to stop. “See this is what happens when you don’t listen.” Said the Joker and stared down at her. “So. Why don’t you just listen to us?”  The teen let out a piercing scream. screamed, “I’m SORRY! I’ll listen I swear!” Jessie continued to hold her head, squeezing her eyes shut and continued to scream out apologies and promises to listen.

     Finally, the laughing stopped and a slow clapping was heard. Opening her eyes again Jessie saw that she was still in the horrid office of Dr.Crane strapped to the chair. Looking towards the clapping she saw Joker smiling and Harley standing beside him happy. 

     “Well, Jonathan you sure got it in you.”Joker laughed. Jessie flinched and kept her eyes darting around the room looking for any danger. Two thugs walked up to her and took all the straps off of her. “Why don’t you come give good old Joker hug.” He looked Jessie dead in the eye. Something inside of her seemed to tick, moving her like a robot towards Joker. 

     “If anything is off. Simply send her back.” Scarecrow quipped completely disinterested with the clown. As Joker ushered Jessie out of the door she glanced back slowly into the small concrete room. From all the pain that had come from it at least, Scarecrow was honest in his actions. There was no manipulation. She caught a glance at the man and noticed something off about him. Jessie was just short enough to see under his dark hood. His eyebrows were knitted together deeply and his eyes were darting around the room.

Observation: Scarecrow was… nervous?

Conclusion: Something about this was very wrong.  

 


	16. "Human After All"

   Jessie sat in the car a reveled in the peace a quiet that had been vacant from her for the past ..hours? Days? She had no clue how much time she had lost to that room.

Observation: She didn’t know what day it was. 

Objective: Find out how much time she lost. 

      It had to be more that a day though, that she was sure of. She was smashed in between a rather muscular henchman and Harley. The former who kept petting Jessie’s dirty and sweat ridden hair rambling on about something or another. Jessie found she couldn’t focus on the words that were coming out of her mouth. She was able to see a sliver of the windshield and she stared at it almost forgetting to blink. Looking out the window Jessie observed the darkened corrupted world she lived in. The toxins were still strong in her system and she still was on edge. 

   “Earth to Jess!” There was a hand waving in front of her window. She blinked a couple times. “How are you feeling?” 

Observation: Someone was talking to here. 

Response: Respond back. 

    “Sorry. I am feeling fine, thank you.” She stated. 

Conclusion: Subject, verb, adjective, courtesy. She made a sentence.

     “It’s alright.” Harley smiled and hugged her. Jessie hugged back. When someone hugs you, you hug them back. Courtesy. She set her hands back down into her space. She should not take up more space than necessary. Courtesy. She looked down at her hands. She felt as if something was wrong as if something wasn't correct about them. 

Observation: Her hands were shaking. 

Conclusion: She was scared.

Response: Do not be scared.

    Jessie started to laugh. You don’t laugh when you are scared. Jessie can make herself be happy. The smallest of giggles erupted from her lips earning the attention of the others in the vehicle. She smiled. When people look at you, you smile. Courtesy. 

   “Well kid, I am glad you are feeling better. You and I can play around in the training room. Mistah’ J has some things to take care of.” Jessie nodded  to show she understand what Harley said.

    “That sounds excellent. Thank you.” She smiled to show her gratitude. Courtesy. The van cam to a sudden halt. 

Observation: They had stopped. 

Conclusion: They had arrived.

Response: Exit and proceed to the training room.  

    Jessie walked in sync with the other henchmen into the run down hotel. As she entered she observed that the decor of the hotel had changed. She was unsure about her feelings about the purple decor being intertwined with the white. She walked in and spun around enjoying the new scenery. The teen couldn’t help but smile. With the new colors it felt like home. Courtsey. 

     “I see you enjoy the new colors.” Harley walked in while the girl faced her and nodded. “Me and the girls did this while you were away and Puddin was dealing with some boys.” She walked in and admired her work.

     “Boys?” Her observations showed that no boys worked for Joker. The youngest member was a man in his late twenties. 

     “Yeah. Those urchins were trying to break into some of our buildings.” She shrugged and sounded like she didn't really care. 

Observation: Harley was trying to undermine her statement of torture.

Conclusion: She wanted Jessie to question further. 

     “Where are they located?” Jessie asked. Harley smiled. It seemed Jessie had observed right. She wanted her to ask.

     “Want to go see the action.” Jessie nodded. Not because she wanted to witness the torture but because Harley did. Courtesy.  Harley then grabbed Jessie's hand and began pulling her through the building. As she walked towards her destination she heard Joker's laughing and the screams of fear. Jessie noted that the torture had already started. Once inside the room, she saw Joker in the center holding a baseball bat hunched over boy laughing. Jessie knew she needed to stay back unnoticed. Courtesy. 

    Then she saw who was on the floor. 

Her feet slowly lead her forward until she was just behind Joker. She saw a clear view of the boy’s face. She inhaled sharply as she looked down on Jimmy. He looked up at her and his eyes widened as much as they could. One looked as if it were strained. The Joker simply threw his arms around Jessie as she stared down to Jimmy at her feet. 

    “Why don’t you take over, Jess.” He tried to press the bat into her hands but they were clenched together at her sides. She was unable to move. 

Observation: Jimmy was breathing

Conclusion: He was alive

Response: Get him out alive. 

     “Why don’t you take over.” He repeated again. Each word was spat out like spoiled food. He backed away from her and looked at her expectantly as if she was supposed to be doing a practiced skill. “WHY DON’T YOU BEAT HIM TO A BLOODY PULP JESSIE!” All calm was lost in that moment and if Jessie had any more fear left in her she would have been scared. 

     “Jessie.” Jimmy looked up. He spoke to her between his blood-stained teeth. “Don’t. Please.” His body was then overtaken by coughs as he violently rejected the blood that was sitting in his stomach or lungs. 

      “Why don’t you beat him Jessie.” Joker held at the bat to her. She found herself taking the bat in her hands. _ Yes, take it. Just like that. Grip it tight. NOW SWING. _  A voice was talking in her head. It seemed automated as if she was a robot and this was nothing but code talking to her. The voice could tell Jessie was struggling. It made her look down at Jimmy's broken body.   _ He caused you so much pain anyways what's the problem? _ She followed the voice's instructions. She gripped the bat tight and raised it above her head.  Another voice began speaking to her. Somewhere from deep inside her psyche, it screamed,  _ STOP STOP! You don’t have to follow any orders. _ Letting go of the bat Jessie grabbed her head. A throbbing started as the voices began to become angry at one another as if Jessie was just the apartment building that housed the noisy tenants.  _ JUST DO IT! _   The first one screamed.  _ Think yourself out of this one, you know you can!  _ The calmer one reasoned.  _ Make him unable to walk when you're done with him.  _ The angry one screamed into her brain. 

    “Then let’s let him walk.” Jessie spoke softly. The people around the room stepped forward to hear her soft words. “Just like this, a walking message.” She had to appease the voice though. It was pounding against her skull. She kicked at his ribs and as his shrills emitted in the air it retreated back into her brain. “This will let them all know not to mess with us.” Joker raised his eyebrows. Then he started with the laugh. 

    “That’s smart kid!.” He came up wrapping an arm around her again. “It looks like the good doctor really made you apart of this family, and I didn’t even have to deal with that short stack Hatter.” He laughs hunching over. “Boys you heard the girl! Send him away. Make sure everyone knows what will happen if anything ever happens like this again.” With that, he began to pull her away and back into the hall. “Now that I know you really are one of us. Why don’t you come on a heist with us!” He asked.

_      ‘Yes!’ _  The voice said. “Yes!” Jessie said suddenly. Joker smiled clapping his hands together. Jessie didn’t know why she said yes.  _ ‘Why don’t you want to go on a heist? He asked, and when someone asks you to go somewhere you should go with them.’  _

     Courtesy. 


	17. "The Trial of Jessie Lawson"

     The minutes slowly ticked by making Jessie on edge.  _ They don't trust you if they left you in the car. _ Horrid the voice commented. Jessie had hoped to chase it back into her subconscious with the kick to Jimmy’s ribs but it looks like she had no such luck.  _ Why don’t you just pop on out? Join in the fun. They won’t mind. _ The voice suggested for the fourth time. “No, we talked about this.” She mumbled to herself and gained a questioning glance from Greg, the thug that was put in charge of watching her. Jessie glanced back up at him before looking back down. Suddenly there was a deafening thud and several crash noises. They all seemed to be coming from the building. Greg grabbed her arm tightly and hauled her to her feet.  _ Let the fun begin! _

   “We’re moving. I’m not going to be sitting ducks when the Batman shows up.” He roughly pulled her arm and hauled her out of the van and into the building they were robbing. Jessie stared up at it. It wasn’t monumentally important looking. As she glanced around she was able to see they were somewhere in the Diamond District. “What's going on?” He asked walking up to two thugs. 

    “Don't know but we lost contact with Scratch and Kicks a couple minutes ago.” The shorter one said.

    “Then what are you idiots doing here. We gotta go warn the boss.” The group all walked together in a triangle formation, Jessie unfortunately sandwiched in the middle. Greg was tailing behind watching them. Jessie heard a thud behind her suddenly. Turning behind her she saw Greg on the floor.   _ He’s here. He’s here.  _ The voice practically cheered with glee.  _ Be careful. Don’t do anything stupid.  _ The soft one soft slightly. Just at the end of the horrid ones sentence. 

     “Greg?” She whispered slightly scared.  _ Take his gun _ . The soft one suggested.  _ Yeah, so you can shoot people! _ Horrid told her. She quickly picked it up and held it slyly in the folds of her dress.

    “Why don’t we move things along.”  A thug said. Simply gesturing forward. No one grabbed her or pulled her. She followed since they asked so politely.

Courtesy.

They quickly headed down one hallway then another, then another. She looked down for a second to push the hair out of her face and when she looked back up she saw a shadow drop and grab a thug ahead of them. Jessie let a shriek out and pointed when he was dropped to the floor. The two thugs that had been escorting Jessie ran ahead and dropped down to examine their mate. One grabbed his radio and shouted into it looking for back up. Nothing but static came back to him. 

_ Move. Quickly.  _ Soft said with a little more urgency than normal. Jessie pivoted on her heel and walked backward down the hallway. Seeing a corner Jessie walked up to it and quickly looked around it to see if anyone was there, which thankfully there wasn't. She started down it when she saw a flash of black cross ahead of her in an intersecting hallway. Spinning around and watching her environment she saw the shadow again and again. She called out to the soft voice in her head but all that came back was Horrid laughing at her. She was completely alone to defend herself.  _ Why don’t you just go jump off the building you pathetic lifeform?  _ Horrid screeched at her, cackling. Finding it too much to handle she dropped the gun and ran to a nearby staircase. Running up the stairs she tripped. Tears pricked her eyes. Picking herself up she ran up the stairs as quickly as she could. Seeing a door she shoved her way through and took a deep breath. Turning to look at the stairs again she saw darkness crawling after her. She pulled herself up and out onto the balcony. The shadow had followed her and inched closer as she scrambled over the railing.  _ What would Joker think? Look at you, you’re pathetic.  _ Horrid said, angered. They were spitting into her brain poisoning her thoughts.

   “I’m sorry! ” She cried out into the night. Grabbing her hair she turned around to face the edge of the building.  _ What were you thinking! You thought you could escape this? You can never escape this.  _ They continued to scream and yell at her. “I’m sorry.” She whispered the apology out to the wind. She gazed down to the city below her.  Looking down she saw Joker being dragged away. He looked up and saw her he let out a loud laugh and stopped in his tracks.  _ Why don’t you jump!  _ The command reached her ears before being shoved in a police vehicle. 

_ Would it even kill me?  _ Was the first thought she had. She pulled off one of her shoes and held it over the ledge. Suddenly her brain was very clear. There were no voices horrid or soft. Terminal velocity was 53 meters per second. Things fell at 9.8 meters per second towards earth. To be dead upon impact it this building needs to seventy-five meters tall. She dropped her shoe over the edge and counted the seconds as it fell. 

    At the base of the building, a SWAT member ran out of the building rushing to a nearby tactics officer.  “She fled to a higher floor and our unit went over the balcony. We retreated, hopefully, she will run into Steven’s group on the lower floor.  I’ll take a few men with me and we'll start searching.” Turning around he saw something land on the concrete. “What the?” Looking up he saw the girl. His eyes widened. “Jesus.” He breathed. “Jack! Get Arkham on the phone now!” He pointed up to the girl and everything went into a panic. 

 

    Jessie watched as they all began to panic. Tears pricked her eyes again.  _ They're all the controlled by Joker doing what he wants _ . His laugh rang through her head again as the voices spoke up again. Taking a gasp of air she wiped her eyes. “I’m better than him.” 

     “Yes, you are..” A new voice said behind her. Looking over her shoulder she began to shake. A black clad figure stood comfortably behind her. His armour was damaged and she thought his nose was billed but there he stood, the Batman.  _ You heard the boss man. Jump _ . “I found what happened. You don’t have to follow his orders.” He started to walk towards her.  _ You know you do. He programmed you too. Now, why don’t you jump.  _

    “Stay back!” She was panicking she inched closer to the edge. He stopped.

    “You don’t have to jump. I saw the data.” Jessie was trying to understand what he was saying but the voices just wouldn't shut up.

    “What data!” She let out a small scream. “They won't shut up!.” She started to shake more as she raise one hand up to beat her head hoping to commotion would go away. 

   “Joker was trying to control you with a post hypnotic activation phrase. That’s why they sent you to Crane. Prove him wrong. Come down.” The Batman took a slow step towards her. Don’t go with him. _ He’s lying. You want you mother to die? Jump and your mother will be saved. You think you are stronger than the Joker? No one can beat him. Not even yo-.  _

The voice stopped as soon as Jessie climbed over the edge. Jessie  doesn’t remember the walk down to the main floor. She came over the balcony and immediately began sobbing into the vigilante's less than comfortable armour. Carrying her over to an ambulance the paramedics carefully and passionately took her from Batman and put her on the stretcher. 

    “Her mother will meet her at the hospital.” Batman say before vanishing into the dark. 

    “Jessie, I’m Heather.” The female paramedic said as she gently stroked the hair out of her eyes.  “We are gonna take good care of you.” Jessie remembered nodding and as she looked into the face of the EMT, her smile no longer scared her. 


	18. "Pastel Coloured Walls"

    Jessie has learned some interesting things about hospitals during her stay in the pediatric ward of Gotham General. One is that usually, the whiniest patients need the least amount of care, two is that hospital food isn’t really that bad, (she is unsure if this is because she has eaten practically nothing for the past three months) and three is that nurses can’t whisper for shit. For the four days she has been confined to this bed all the nurses have done are tell her she’s fine but turns and discuss their worry for her not twenty seconds later. Maybe they don’t understand that she lost her mind during her time with the Joker, not her hearing. They tell her she’ll make a great recovery but with the four different antidepressants, two psychotics and one anti-anxiety medications she is one the future seems jagged at best. Days had passed with no sign of her getting better. The days turned into weeks and still, her sanity eluded her like some complex riddle. Months started to pile up and she could tell the doctors were becoming restless and her mother was starting to worry.  Jessie was drained both emotionally and physically. It was about three in the afternoon if the clock on the wall served her well.

     Her mother should be by soon for visiting hours. Jessie smiled at the thought of her mother. She hadn’t been conscious when they rushed her into Gotham General still on the stretcher, but as soon as she woke up her mother was the first thing she saw. She remembered looking up into her mother's face and mentally slapping herself forever forgetting a single detail about it. Her mother had been with her daily since she came back and had soothed all worries of her missing school. Loud footsteps coming from the hall shook her out of her daydream. None of the doctors or nurses walked that loudly.  Getting out of the bed she found where they kept the scalpel and grabs one and shoved it down her bra as she had done before. She knew something was coming around the corner and she would be ready. The door creaked open just as Jessie slide back into her bed. All that peered around the corner was her mother’s smiling face.

Her mother. Right. Visiting hours. 

    “Hi, mom.” Jessie croaked out. Her throat still tight from the self-inflicted horror not seconds before.

    “Hi, Jessie sweetie. How are you feeling?” Her mother softly walked over and took a seat by Jessie’s bed. Jessie sat up a little bit so she could talk to her mother better. 

    “Same old, same old. Still sick.” She gave her mother a half smile and an equally energetic shrug. Her mother took her hand and began stroking it softly. 

    “Well, I just met with a very nice man who offered to maybe change that.” Her mother said. She took a seat next to Jessie and smoothed out her skirt. Jess could tell her mother was excited because she kept fidgeting with her attire. Jessie bunched her eyebrows together partly in confusion and partly in fear of what her mother had done. “Nothing is for sure, but I think this is a life-changing opportunity.” A smile broke out onto her mother’s face and Jessie felt very unsure. 

    “Mom what did you do?” Jessie said. Her thoughts going back to the scalpel in her scrubs.  “Just tell me what it is. You’re freaking me out.”

     “Jessie, Arkham has agreed to house you in their pediatric wing, just for a week. Free of charge.” Her mother said softly stroking her hair. She dropped her voice down a couple of notches. “I know you don’t like it here and personally I think these nurses should be fired.” Jessie smiled a little at her mother’s joking manner. “Before you agree to anything just know that if you don’t like it there you can come back here or we can find you a new place. Anywhere, you think is best. We can move to Montana if you want it. Okay, sweetheart?” Her mother placed a kiss on her forehead. 

  “Yeah.” Jessie sighed. She looked around at the hospital. Her room was more like a broom closet and the nurses were overworked as it was. Jessie knew she wasn’t going to be an easy fix. Whatever Scarecrow had done to her, or hadn’t done to her according to Batman wasn’t going to be fixed by something that came out of a bottle, any bottle for that matter. But Arkham? Wasn’t that for criminally insane people? She didn’t do anything bad. She was the victim here. Yet as she looked around the worn down hospital and thought of the advancements of Arkham she let out a sigh. “Okay.” She said quietly. “Okay.” She repeated a little more surely this time. “I’ll try out Arkham.” Her mother squeezed her hand reassuringly. 

    “Alright sweety. I will go-” A sharp knock on the door interrupted her mother. Jessie’s head whipped towards the door as her heartbeat speed up again. She laid her palm against the scalpel inside her hospital scrubs. “Yes?” Her mother said loudly. The door slowly began to open and Jessie squeezed her mother’s hand tightly. A tall figure entered the room. 

    “Connor?” Jessie asked. More a question to herself than anything. He smiled a dazzling full teeth smile. 

    “Hey. I heard on the news that you were back.” He rocked awkwardly back and forth on his feet. “I wanted to see you… if that's okay. I didn’t know if you wanted to see me because I have been like three months since you have been back but like…. Yeah.” He stuck his hands in his back pockets shyly as if Jessie were some hot goddess and not a scrambled bleary mess. She looked at her mom who just gave her a little smirk and squeezed her hand. 

    “I will leave you two to catch up.” Her mother said standing. “I’ll go tell them about Arkham.” 

    “Arkham?” Connor asked. His eyes growing wide. He looked Jessie over as if he were able to survey her broken mind like broken limbs. 

    “She was selected for a pediatric program there.” Her mother told Connor who was still surveying Jessie. 

    “If you don’t mind Ms. Lawson. I would like to show Jessie something. Just really quick before she leaves.” Jessie’s mother looked at her with open eyes. It was one of those looks that said she would tell him to leave if Jessie wanted. 

    “No, it’s fine mom.” She turned towards Connor slowly. “So where are we going?” She asked. 

    “Come with me. I have something I want to show you.” Connor said extending his hand towards her. Jessie looked at him for a moment. Then she swung her legs out of the bed and took his hand.

    “Lead the way.” 

 


	19. "The Smell of Chlorine"

    They sat in silence together, their feet laying peacefully in the water. The water quietly lapped up against the side of the pool making soft noises in the otherwise quiet room. Connor had led her from the hospital down a couple blocks to their school where he prompt broke in and lead her into the swimming pool. She stared deep into the water watching it move peacefully. She could hear the voice taping in the back of her consciousness. Ever since Batman found her she hadn’t been completely able to block it out. It was calming to watch the liquid slosh gentle around, it was so docile and calming after her month… days, of torture. Jessie takes a breath then works up the courage to say, “I really like the flowers.” She lets the words mull around in the air before continuing on. “It’s nice to know someone was worried.” She thinks back to the days before the incident, to how everything was. She is unsure if she would have ever thought someone would care that much. It was… comforting to know that people would look for her. 

     “I was freaking out when you didn't show up for dive practice for the third time. No one knew where you were.” He played absentmindedly with the water, probably trying to play off the fact that.

 “You watched me at dive practice?” She thought he was so consumed with his water polo practice. Not that she was watching him specifically or anything. She would have noticed him watching him because of other.. certain reasons. 

 “Only sometimes, I mean, not all the time. It’s just when you dive you look so unearthly.” Jessica made a face. “Not in a bad way. Like, you just always look like you know what you are doing and your face becomes this blank slate then PHFEWWWW” He makes his hand dive and twist in the air, landing in the water. “Sick dive.” He pulls his hand out and dried it on his pants. “You look elegant while doing it as well.” He whispered the end but Jessie still heard him. The 

   “You thought I was elegant?” The voices in her head suddenly made a retreat from their persistent knocking, retreated into a corner of her mind. 

   “Yeah! Of course, I still do and…” He looked over to Jessie who was staring at him wide-eyed. “And I am going to stop talking now.” He put his hand over his mouth and leaned forward trying to contain his blush that was spreading up his neck and face. Jessie felt the shock of someone actually liking her wearing off. It was replaced with this squeezing feeling that welled up in her chest, almost like a light that had been turned off for too long. She saw her chance and she was going to take it. She took a deep breath and spoke her next words very slowly. She wanted to make sure she said exactly what she meant. 

   “Connor.” Jessie began, “This is going to be so cliche but I had, still have, the biggest crush on you.” He turned his head to Jessie no longer looking embarrassed but something akin to hope welled up in his eyes.  “I want to be with you, in whatever sense you interpret that word but,” She looked up at him and met his eyes. His wonderful green eyes that shined like stars. She also saw his smile and felt his hand grab hers. “I would love to but, what happened during those three months with the Joker changed me in ways I don’t understand and comprehend yet. In order to do you right, I need to take care of myself first.” Connor nodded and squeezed Jessie’s hand.

    “Wait. You said three months, didn’t you?” Connor said slowly, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion. She nodded. That was how long she was gone. She kept a meticulous count in that awful room they kept her in. 

    “You were only gone for three weeks, Jess.” He said seriously. He looked into her eyes searching them for any signs that she was kidding. When he found none he quickly turned to her and grabbed her other hand. She shook her head slightly staring back into the pool. Three weeks? No. That had to be wrong, she had to be gone for long. She was in that room for weeks itself… wasn’t she? She felt her breathing hitch up and the voices were overtaking her head screaming at her.

    “Jess,” Connor whispered, “You were gone for 21 days, but that doesn’t mean your experience is degraded any. Your experiences were very real and by the looks of it terrifying.  We looked and looked and looked and I am sorry that you have monsters in you that make you tear yourself apart.” Jessie could tell that he was angry, tears welled up in his eyes and his hands were shaking. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she shook her head. She let out a small sob and hugged him hiding her face in his chest. Connor hugged her and pet her hair and rubbed her back, doing every comforting action that he knew. She was still crying and trying to deal with this new information when there was a cough from behind them. Jessie turned her head slightly and saw a terrifying man standing there in tactical Arkham gear.

    He was more dressed to go take down a bank heist than to pick up a sick girl from a hospital. His eyes locked on to Jess and they were a harrowing shade of green that seemed to convey how much she should not fuck with him in a single glance. Jessie started to regret her decision of going to Arkham if this is what they sent to escort her. She wasn’t a criminal, she was the victim here! The man stood there looking at the couple and gave them a small smile before nodding towards the door. Connor seemed to understand what the cryptic nod meant and smiled a Jessie. His smile lightened Jessie’s view a little. 

     “Jess.” He lifted her head up. “The people from Arkham are here. You’ll get better there. Won’t she?” He looked towards the man who steps forward, now towering over them.

    “She won’t return to normal, but she will be happy.” He looked at her with those piercing cold eyes and Jessie knew deep down he was right. They were to only feature she could identify him by as tactile gear seemed to naturally grow from him covering his body like a second skin. At least she knew he was honest. Connor stood up first drying off his feet as Jessie slowly got up out of the pool. She knew this is what she had to do in order to get better.  _ You are okay. You are okay.   _ Her old mantra suddenly came into her head and as it tumbled around in her brain she felt it need to change. 

_ You will be okay. You will be okay.  _

The first step to getting there was going with this man. She steeled herself up, dried her eyes and feet, and turned towards the man.

   “Let’s get a move on then. My brain isn’t going to heal itself.” Jessie found herself saying. The Arkham guard smiled a small smile at Jessie and she felt a small amount of nervousness depleted from her body. She grabbed Connor's hand to steady her as she walked through the halls of the school. She was shaking and held his forearms with as much strength as she had left. As they walked she felt herself getting more and more nervous about her bold decision to jump head first into the depths of Arkham Asylum, after all wasn’t Arkham an asylum for the CRIMINALLY insane? Was this some ploy that the government has used to get her to confess to some crime she did not commit? By the time her train of thought had ended they were already outside. There was a van waiting for her. 

     “You’ll have to say your goodbye’s here.” The guard said simply. Connor nodded and helped Jessie make the slow and painful walk to the Arkham vehicle. They stopped outside the doors. Jessie and Connor incognito like peered into the driver’s seat. There sat a deathly looking man, who terrified her more than the guard. His eyes were empty and dark and matched with the smirk on his face seemed to be someone that populated Jessie’s dream. The more she looked at him the more his eye fell into a supernova state becoming black holes that would take her life and feel nothing about it. His back hair fell down onto his forehead becoming blood stains that curved across his forehead. She looked away quickly from the grave portrait she had painted telling herself she would rather take her chances with the guard. Connor instead saw the driver’s lithe fingers covered in bandages and small cuts. He hated the idea of having to leave Jessie alone with other men, deadly mean, by the looks of it. She didn’t need to be manhandled in her fragile state. All she needed was care. Slowly he let go of Jess and she stepped into the van. The guard climbed in behind her and shut the door. 

    Jessie suddenly felt very afraid. She had just left behind the only thing that currently made her feel safe and comfortable. She sat in her designated seat in the van. It was the type that transported prisoners as the only seats were on the sides of the van. The guard sat across from her, it was only now she realized he held a gun. The black submachine gun had blended in with all of the other pouches and weapons. Her heart seized up in her chest and her palms began sweating. 

    “Don’t worry. It’s not loaded with live rounds. I just have to keep up appearance.” He takes off the clip and shows Jessie.

    “Yeah. He’s just  _ the best  _ at keeping up appearances.” The driver in the front says. He turns around and peers through the window between the back and front. He flashes a smirk that seems more like a threat of death, at the guard before turning back around. Jessie feels as if she missed out on some joke. “Anyway, buckle up kids. Shits about to get real. I haven’t driven one of these before.” The van started up and Jessie held on tightly to the sides of her seat. She looked around nervously at the van. Every bump in the road she felt her insides flying up into her throat. 

     She took in more of the guard that sat in front of her. Now that she could see him clearly he wasn’t as terrifying as the man up front. He seemed to be in an oxymoron of relaxed yet his body was bolt upright. All colour was washed off his face which is why she thought his eyes so menacing before. Jess believed it was because of all of the blacks that washed him out. He caught her examining all of the small compartments on his vest and she received from him her first real smile from Arkham. She tried to reciprocate it but it turned out more of a yikes face. This causes him to snort out a laugh that sends Jess into a fit of laughter as well. For the first time since seeing the outside world, it feels good to laugh. This is what laughter should be like, pleasant and shared with people you like. She decided she like this guard. As he shook his head and sighed he turned towards the front with a small smile on his face. Jessie saw a name badge on his chest that read VOLKOV. She liked this guard, Volkov. A large bump in the road and a loud explicative from Volkov sent questions whirling through Jess’s brain. 

     “Did he seriously mean he couldn’t drive?” Jessie whispered finally. Volkov looked to her and laughed slightly again.

     “Partly.” He must see the panic in her eyes because he continues on. “Don’t worry though. Jack knows what he’s doing... even if we don’t.” 

     “You trust him like that?” She tries to get another look at the man in the front. From the brief glance she got at him the only thing she remembered was the killer look in his eyes and how much he looked like a shadow that world slip in through her window and slit her throat in the night. She would trust that man as far as she could throw him, which with her given upper body strength was about two inches. “Why would you do that?”

    “Why did you trust Connor?” Jessie looks up quickly to meet his eyes. He has one eyebrow raised at her and she knows he knows about them. She blushed then looks back down at her shoes. “Also, I really don’t have a choice. He threatened to drop kick me off Wayne tower if I made him sit back here with you. Jack’s not a people person.” He told her. Not a people person should have been submitted as the understatement of the century. 

   “Are you spreading lies about me back there?” Jack called from the front. Jessie felt that he should really be focusing on the road in front of him if what Volkov said was true. 

   “Nothing that’s not true.” Volkov shouted back at him. Jessie saw him roll his eyes dramatically and she felt a small giggle well up inside of her. She felt better now that she was seeing the guards human side. Maybe this wouldn’t be all that bad. 

   “I am going to slice  your throat Nickolai.” Jack the driver replied. Jessie felt that the threat was empty and felt a little more comforted in her chances of not dying.  

   “Love you to Arkham.” He leaned over and slide the window shut. It was just the guard and Jessie now. “Do you have any questions before we get there? Comments? Concerns? Interpretive dance moves?” Jessie sighed and organized the thoughts in her mind. She thought it was a little early to inquire how a man could love a monster so instead, she sighed for the last time for that day and looked at the guard with new found confidence. 

  “Just a couple.” Jessie told him. She hoped this was a long car ride. 


	20. Rora Borealis

   “Lastly, never talk to Spencer, he will try to hit on you.” Nickolai finished. Suddenly the van screeched to a halt. Jessie flung her hands out to grab something to steady herself from flying into the steel wall. Nickolai, he had introduced himself after Jessie called him Volkov, flung out to steady her as well. There was a soft ‘nailed it’ from the front before the empty beast fell quiet and the doors opened. They flew open and the sun, which was hiding behind a looming building, assaulted her eyes. 

    “Time to go. Cash is waiting.” Jack, who she had also learned about, stands at the base. He was apparently terrible at socializing and could throw knives to into your eyeball from 300 meters away. Currently, he stands at the base of the truck looking more like a character in Resident Evil than an employee of a state asylum. Jessie hadn’t been able to see what he was wearing when she entered but now she saw he was almost as tactically decked out as Nickolai was. Nickolai grabbed her arm softly and helped her to her feet. She stood up and walked to the edge, slowly lowering herself down the step to the ground. The air was ice against her skin and seemed to numb her to the bone. Decaying trees that sprouted decaying leaves fell around her feet, and seemed to sling to her hospital slippers like dying children. Walls and walkways had been built around the trees as if somehow they could coexist together. Shadows walked across them emitting soft clangs like bells. The scenery was like a painting and her eyes were drawn along the path to a vast building in front of her that seemed to be built into a sheet of rock. It grew out of it like a weed, pulling towards the air and trying to survive where it should not be. The facade was cold and stone reminding Jess of another building she had recently been tortured in. 

     “We need to keep moving.” Nickolai said. She snapped her head towards him and stared. She was still processing her own thoughts trying to calm herself. She was being led down the aisle towards the building. As they approached, a shadow appeared from the face of the rock wall.

    “Everything go just fine?” The man said looking to Jessie with a look in his face she just couldn’t place.

    “Yes, sir.” Nick replied. “This is Aaron Cash. Head of Security here at Arkham. He will be escorting you through your checkpoints.” Nick let go of her arm then and stepped away doing that half-hearted wave thing before heading off to a set of huge electronic doors built into the shelf of the hill. Jack flipped him off. Jessie looked out at his retreating figure and wanted to call out for him to come back. She didn’t know who this Cash guy was. She quickly looked him up and down trying as if his life story was written on his body. Even though she noted his middle age he looked like he could bench press three of her and he was missing a hand. He could take down Joker and Harley single-handedly - pun completely intended. He was missing a hand and was able to be head of security at a high profile mental institution. Great. Before Jessie could continue having her breakdown Jack whispered to her, 

  “He doesn’t have to go through the ScanTron 3000 because he works here. Perks of being a guard.” Jack’s words seemed to somehow all be laced with malicious intent, as if every syllable had picked a fight with him. 

  “Aren’t you a guard too?” Jessie asked perplexed. He seemed to let out a noise that was a genetic hybrid between a snort and a laugh.

  “I am the farthest thing from an Arkham Guard.” He told Jessie and the words made his eyes go supernova again. His aura entirely suddenly reminded her of Other Mother from Coraline. This sudden connection didn’t ease Jessie at all. She had been left in the care of a one handed man and someone who didn’t even work here and would probably turn out to be the antagonist of her next adventure. Cash grabbed her arm and marched her into the building. It was official. She was an inmate of Arkham Asylum. The doors clicked open and slid into the walls letting her be paraded into a world filled with LED lights and carbon steel. Guards sat stood attentive along the walls, all fully armed and every single one of them men. Something about masculine men and the past three months, no three weeks, led her to be unease about men with biceps as big as their heads, 

    “Is everyone who works here male?” She whispered back to Jack. He might be a sickly shadow but he was all she had for questions now that Nickolai had left her. Jack’s face which had been held in a steady position of looking like he was pissed off fell slightly as he thought. 

    “No.” He said finally, and it looked like that was all the answer Jessie as going to get. Dread started to filled Jessie once more. With every step she too,k it seemed to seep in from her toes up into her throat choking her. The closer they got the end of the hallway the slower she walked. Soon she felt she was being dragged along by the small space Mr. Head of Security was holding onto her then, much sooner than she would have liked, they were at the doors. 

    “Hello, Miss Lawson.” One guard welcomed her in a feminine voice. Jessie tried to analyze the guards face as best she could but considering they were wearing a helmet that covered most of their head and had uniforms coming up to their necks it was a difficult process. She was unable to see if they were a female, male or even a robot. “We are very glad that you were willing to come and see us. You are in very good hands.” Jessie could tell they were trying to assure her but so far she as so on edge nothing but some alone time and maybe some pizza would bring her back to solid land. “Maybe, Mr. Cash would care to explain what is going to happen?” They said shooting one of ‘those looks’ at the mentioned man.

    “Of course.” He coughed slightly into his hand. “We will be processing you through patient transfer, which will consist of multiple security checkpoints, the first being at station Alpha just up ahead. It will be a full body immersion tube generously donated by the Wayne Foundation.” He looked back to the guard like he was a student giving a presentation and for the first time Jessie realised why this experience had been so surreal.

The fact was they had no idea what they were doing. She thought about it more. As Mr. Cash stumbled over himself trying to explain things to a girl who was no longer listening. She thought of a question that hadn't even occurred to her to ask Nickolai.

   “How many pediatrics do you guys actually house?” She cut Cash off looking between all of the unnecessary guards and Other Mother and the Head of Arkham Security escorting her. Cash cleared his throat and began speaking slowly, 

   “Well, we have a number of-” 

   “Two. But technically, just you.” Jack said glancing over at Jessie. She looked back at him and saw and amused smile spread across his face. It lifted some light into his eyes and Jessie gave him the yikes smile because that was all she could offer at the moment. “I think Lealand is waiting.”

   “Let’s not keep her waiting.” The kind guard said. Jessie appreciated her and her pediatric tactics. As Cash escorted her once again though the clicking doors she glanced back to try and catch their name. As her head came back around from reading their name tag, Mendes, she stopped dead in her tracks. Light flooded her vision like a punch to the face causing her to wince back. They were in a vast windowless room that seemed to stretch out and fall down leaving a maze of walkways and towers. Guards were positioned witha copious amount over the entire room. The room was tired and saturated of all colour. It seemed the years of seeing the same relentless villains being hauled in and forcefully ejected out had deteriorated not only the people who walked above her but the building itself. There was a stale must about the air that seemed to worm its way into everyone's skull and set about a dense fog of adrenaline. Just by being in the room she felt she needed to be alert and on edge. Each clang of a boot patrolling around on the walkway above her send her heart beating faster and faster. They lead her down a small flight of stairs to the lowest part of the room where she was taken into another hallway that was buried in the face of the lower junction of the room. She deduced it probably ran under the floor. 

    “This is weapon check Alpha.” Cash reiterated to her.  She nodded and watched as the doors closed and bluelight filled the room like a fluid.  It was rather calming to Jessie's mind. Lasers shot out of the wall and swiveled down tracks scanning the entirely of the hallway.  Jessie noticed that people were watching into the hallway through windows. The glass distorted their faces to make them become watercolor paintings. Suddenly an alarm began blaring and the soothing blue fluid was replaced with harsh red fire. Jessie felt tears come to her eyes and the hallway felt more like a tube that was going to swallow her whole. Someone had broken out. It as the Joker he was coming for her.  An intercom clicked on and a garggly voice spoke out. 

    “The girl has something.” Everyone turned to Jessie. Jessie shook her head. She didn’t have anything, she never hurt anybody.  She racked her brain back and forth before it came to her. Turning around she shoved her hand down her shirt and grabbed the scalpel out of her bra and turned around again. Holding it out for them, Jack seemed to look at her as if she had personally offended him and Cash just took it sighing. 

   “I’m supposed to log how you acquired this but no one say anything and we will just keep this off the books, alright?” He stuck the scalpel into a small compartment inside the wall of the tube.  “That it?” Jessie nodded and the scan went threw again. Everything went fine and the doors at the opposite end clicked open. Walking out she followed them though more steal hallways lit by an extensive amount of LED’s. The hallways seemed as if they were created by her subconscious in a dream. Windowless and desolate they seemed to extend forever in each direction. The jet black of the men’s uniforms made them shadows in a three dimensional space. They were walking through a negative field, all the colour satchurated away. She imagined the patients draining the colour away one shade at a time each grasping for something in the vast expanse of nothing.  They turned down another hallway and got into an elevator, went down a couple floors, got out, walked down some more hallways, went through smaller security checks, got into elevators, went down more hallways. 

   “Why are there so many hallways.” Jessie sighed to herself. 

   “To make up for the abundant amount of signs they ordered.” Jack said completely serious. “And they built this place in pieces over the course of years and years. The entryway was built over twenty years ago while this hallway,” he banged on the wall, “was built about seven years ago.” Jessie nodded solemnly. She supposed that made sense. She was surprised at the number of successful break out though, it would be one beast to get out of your cell and another entirely to make it out of here without a GPS, no matter how many signs there were, which she now seemed to notice more. There were quite a lot of them. 

   “We are also underground.” Cash spoke out, his words traveling fast down the empty corridor. He knocked on the walls reiterating his sentence, there was no noise. She hadn’t noticed when Jack had done it. “I didn’t want to take you over the campus without ‘Rora present. She has a way with the inmates I don’t.” His eyes shifted to Jack sketchley. “We had to get you to Arkham West to the medical facility.” They came to another elevator that brought them and and they walked through yet another door but this time Jessie stepped into a room. 

    “Hi Jess!” A man stood by a hospital bed in the small room they found themselves in. There were windows that shown out into a large medical facility. “I heard you had a run in with the Clown lovers.” Jessie stiffened remembering there laughs that kept her up at night. “Please step into my office.” He gestured to the hospital bed. Jessie just stood there uncertain. Jack gave her a small push on the back and as she stumbled forward the nurse began talking. 

   “I’m Adam. It’s nice to meet you.” He took was dressed with another form of a black outfit, except there was reflective tape sewn in to support red cross logo on his uniform. He wore the years of his work around his eyes but as he smiled at Jessie she could see the contentedness radiate out of him. He began talking blood pressure and her temperature. “I was once held hostage by The Riddler and trust me I was not as brave as you were.” He smiled and took note of the numbers. “Like I almost peed myself in front of Batman..” He said squeezing her arm making her smiled. He chuckled. “Alright let's go over the small stuff. Birthday… September 26th. Right?” Jessie nodded. “Sick dude. My dad's birthday is in September.” He smiled as he wrote it down. “It says here you go to Gotham East High.” He looked up again at Jess for the nod. “That's gnarly. I go to the sub shop down the street and man it's like the best thing.” He continued to ramble about nonsense. Jessie had the feeling he was more nervous about this exam than Jessie was. Jack finally spoke up.

    “Adam. Sometime today.” Jack quips. “Please.”

    “Yeah! Sorry, Jack. How’s the leg doing? Man, Jess you gotta see this man in action lost a leg to Penguin and then one to the Gotham River and STILL manages to take down twenty inmates in seven minutes.” Jessie then slides her eyes over incognito to Jack. It was then she noticed that he DIDN’T HAVE ANY LEGS. Her head straightens quickly and she mentally kicked herself for being so unobservant. How could she miss something like this? If she wasn’t so drained from the lights she felt she would have noticed that. She told herself that all of the black blended in with the blades that came out of his knees. Then laughed slightly because, apparently carrying seven hundred knives wasn’t enough, he had to turn his legs into them. Adam left with a high five to Jessie and a pat on the back for Jack. A very sharp woman clicked her way into the room, a sweeping lab coat followed her dramatizing her entrance. 

     “Dr. Lealand. Thank you for doing this.” Cash spoke up. Jessie was confused and watched as the woman clicked her pen and walked over to her with a clipboard. 

     “Always a pleasure, especially when such a brave young woman agrees to join us here in Arkham. It’s difficult to agree to stay in a place with the stigma of breeding super villains.” Dr. Leland pushed her black cropped hair behind her ear and tried to kill the fire that was growing in behind her eyes. Jessie imagined she was continuously fighting an uphill battle and felt a little sorry for her. “I am Dr. Leland head of psychiatry here at Arkham, we just need to do a quick psychological evaluation. Your regular psychiatrist will be Dr. Kung.” She paused and looked at the clipboard. “She specializes in pediatrics and meets regularly with our other younger patients. Any questions?” 

   “You have younger patients other than me?” The words seemed to fall out of her mouth like silk clipping through her flirt. She paused then for a second, blushing. She already knew they probably couldn’t answer that for confidentiality reasons yet, her mind drifted back to something Jack Knife before about her being the only pediatric. “Sorry. Am I going to be put with all the other… patients?” She was sure that the majority of the inmates or patients, she wasn’t sure what to call them, were lovely just her mind fretted about two who were hopefully locked deep and far away. 

     The doctor looked at her with her with a quaint smile on her lips. “No, you're going to be housed separately. Don't worry.” Jessie could tell she was not used to dealing with children. Jessie watched her rock back and forth slightly as she tried and ultimately failed to sugar coat her questions. They covered everything from word association to Jessie trying to make sense of ink dots on a page. (They all looked like bats to her. She is not sure what that says about her.) 

    “That’s it. Thank you for your time. Arkham Asylum is happy to house you.” The doctor extended an awkward hand and patted Jessica’s shoulder lightly before turning on her night black heels and clicking away. 

   Jessie was ushered back into the elevator by Jack Knife and Head Guard Cash. As it clunked up slowly on the old tracks Jessie hoped to herself they didn’t have much farther to go. She had seen enough stark barren walls and lights that seemed just a little too bright. It was as if they were trying to make the decor absorb the dark atmosphere by having it all be extremely white. It drained Jessie of her energy more than that small room at Joker’s did. She looked to the men escorting her down and it seemed like a cruel joke that their complexion matched their personalities perfectly. Jack was translucent and without his dark eyes and hair would blend in with the walls. It seemed they placed him in the dark clothing in order to contrast him enough to keep him from disappearing into the asylum itself.  

    She hoped she didn’t turn into that. Jessie felt as if all of her life had been dragged out of her forcefully by that clown and his girlfriend and if this place needed to take anything more from her she would be left with nothing at all. 

   The next room they stepped into was great like the first one she had seen. As the doors of the elevator closed behind her she was greeted with a dark aura of decay and a building that was on it’s deathbed. She had never been so glad to see cracked walls and dirty floors in her life. Their posse wandered up to a desk that sat adjacent to some very high tech blue lasers that blocked off the next section of the asylum. A lady who was out of time sat behind the desk. She seemed to be as old as the building as she slowly clicked away at what seemed to pass for a computer. 

    “We need a uniform. Small.” Cash instructed the woman. She peered over the counter at Jessie and looked up and down not once, not twice, but three times before grunting to herself. She swung around on her chair and opened a series of cupboards behind her and digging around mole-ishly before slapping down a light gray uniform onto the desk in front of Jessie. Jack pushed Jessie forward and she stumbled forward to grab them. She took them lightly in her hands and stepped back unsure of what to do anymore. 

   “The bathroom is around to corner. Please leave all of your personal items in the tray located at the door. They will be returned to you upon your exit from Arkham.” Without another thought of Jess, she turned back to her computer and started typing away. Jess took her clothes and followed the ancient one’s instructions. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Jack and Cash leaning against the wall obviously waiting for her. 

   As Jessie peels off the hospital scrubs she had been wearing for the last days it seems almost symbolic. It was as if she was peeling off all of the shit and grime that had built up in her mind while laying for several hours in a hospital bed, staring at the ceiling. It felt as if she had been doing nothing but staring and waiting for her entire life waiting for something dramatic to happen to her and the universe must be a sick god because it decided to throw her the worst of the worst. She shoved her clothes into the designated tray and pulled on the gray clothing. It was soft and even the small was big for her. It seemed to be made for someone taller and broader than Jess. It fabric felt comforting though, like it was trying to give her a hug. Everything about it was simple which left Jessie to be her own person in her entirety. 

   She stepped out of the bathroom half trying to hide into the stone walls and half trying to act as confident as possible which turned into a concoction of her standing there looking like a lump of lard and fidgeting with her hands nervously.  Not that she was apparently all good to go several key cards were inserted into selective slots and the blue laser gates sizzled quietly and fell away. The men flanked her again and she was lead down some small steps and into a pit with open cells all around her. 

   “This is Outpatient Post A. Anyone going out today resides here until their time of exit.” Cash told her moving her quickly along the room. 

    “Jack.” A man stands in one of the cells leaning casually against the bars. “Tell ‘Rora I leave at two. She knows what I mean.” Jack nods at him and continues hauling Jess across the room. Once they enter up the other side Jess tries to whisper to Jack.

   “What does that mean? Should you tell someone?” That last thing Jess wants is to be here where a super-criminal decides they want to break out of here. She could barely handle two villains let alone an entire asylum full. 

   “He wants attention. It’s probably been twenty minutes since someone has talked to him.” Jack quipped throwing a face as if to insult the man himself. They turned down a series of halls walking until only one set of signs remained. Extreme Isolation. Jess breathed in deeply stopping herself from sighing again. Sighing was a sign of giving up and the feeling of strength that Jess had felt after she had been thrown into that room by Joker welled up inside of her. She gritted her jaw and balled her fists and flipped through her brain thinking of the way out of here. She shifted her eyes to Jack and his knife legs and then to Cash and his automatic weapon and decided she would rather take multiple stab wounds and a bullet to the sternum than living in Intensive Treatment Extreme Isolation. 

  The hallway was getting shorter and short as they approached the doors to Extreme Isolation. Twenty meters turned into ten meters into five meters into,

   “Hang a left here.” Cash keeps his grip tight on Jessie’s arm and hauls her through a small door that blended in naturally with the steel attire. They crossed through the threshold and the stale disinfected smell of Arkham was destroyed by a biting cold that whipped around Jess and sent her hair flying around her face. 

    They were outside of the tunnel system she had been dragged through and were out onto the campus of the asylum. To her right was the Gotham river in all of its polluted daunting entirety. The waves crashed up against a rocky peer that house Coast Guard boats and a small lighthouse. The rock face that must divide the island stood as ominous as the guards who slowly patrolled the skies above her.  This was all she was able to take in before she was once again manhandled forward towards a house that must have been created after the Earth was. The excessive amount of stairs that seemed to grow out of the ground and attach themselves like leeches to the facade, would be regal in any other setting. However, in this setting, they felt more like some terrible dystopian novel. It seems to be a building out of place, a stranger in the neighborhood of aesculapian pain. It is the elderly person hidden behind the comfort of overgrown bushes. Now Jess is tearing back the fauna forcefully making a new path for others. She doesn’t remember the walk to her room. The entire day had drained her of life and by the time Cash left her and murder boy in a small room of a library she collapses down onto a couch and just concentrated on breathing. Time seemed to pass in a nonlinear fashion as it looped around her and kept her in that moment for what felt like forever. 

    The door shattered time in two as someone stepped into her small tiny planet. Jessie lifted her body up and saw a young girl too close to her age for Jessie’s liking standing in front of her. She was an appendage of the asylum, both were in a state of decay yet living thrivent all at once. There exterior was falling apart and held hopefully potential inside of them. She was on the fashion trend of wearing black and her hair… was tied into a circle around her head.  She smiled and sat across from her. 

     “I heard you needed to vent.” 

Jessie smiled.

 


End file.
